fit lifestyle

How To: Pistol Squat – 5 Exercises to Build to a Pistol Squat – with Progressions

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Hello Everyone!

Welcome to today’s tutorial: How to Pistol Squat. This has been a popular video request. A lot of people want to master a single leg/pistol squat, but they don’t know where to start. If this is a skill you’ve wanted to accomplish you have come to the right place!

Benefits of Pistol Squats

Pistol squat photo tutorial: single leg squat

Pistol squats are one of the best exercises you can do for your lower body. They are very effective for building strength through the glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, core, hip flexors and hip adductors. They also help to decrease muscular imbalances, improve balance, and increase functional mobility.

Why You Can’t Pistol Squat and How to Fix It:

A lot of people ask me why they can’t pistol squat. There are three main components of a pistol squat:
1. Strength

2. Balance

3. Mobility/Flexibility

In order to pistol squat you need to work on all three of these areas. In the video below I will take you through five exercises, with progressions to help you build the strength, balance, and mobility needed for this skill.

You need to have enough single leg strength to lift your entire body. While there are many ways to build lower body strength, I demonstrate some effective techniques, with transferable skills in this video. We are focusing on single leg exercises to also improve balance while building strength.

Often, I see people who have the physical strength and balance to complete this skill, but they don’t have enough mobility and range of motion. Keep in mind, each of these skills can be improved on, but it takes time and practice. You should also practice each skill on both legs.

Flexibility and Balance fluctuate. Some days balance skills will feel easier than others. Balance and flexibility can be impacted by how much sleep you got, and even how hydrated you are, but the best way to progress these skills is by practicing.

You need to be consistent in going through these skills, but the feeling of accomplishment that you feel when you achieve your first pistol squat will be worth it! There is a mental benefit that comes with working on a difficult skill. Enjoy the progress and notice each gain along the way.

The Video Tutorial:

  1. Seated hip Flexor lift: builds strength and mobility through the core, quads and hip flexors.
  2. Single Leg Sit to Stand: builds strength to lift your body weight with one leg. Progress this skill by eventually sitting and standing from lower surfaces.
  3. Elevated single leg squat: Builds strength, and the elevation allows you to go more deeply into the squat to progress your range of motion.
  4. Supported single leg squat: puts together each component of the movement while using support.
  5. Deep Yoga Squat: Improves mobility and flexibility necessary for the full movement. Progression: add the leg lift, and eventually practice the full movement from this position.



I hope that you find this video helpful! I would love to hear how you progress with your goals and through each exercise. Are there any other exercises that you would like to see a video tutorial for? Let me know in the comments.

Melissa

You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness 

If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.

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Pistol squat photo tutorial: single leg squat

Fitbit Surge: Product Review

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Hi Everyone!

I have received a lot of questions about the watch I wear in my workout videos. I wanted to take a few minutes to do a Product Review of the Fitbit Surge. This is the watch that I wear in my workout videos to track my heart rate and calories burned. It’s also a GPS watch and pedometer, so I track my steps all day long, and even log/track all of my running right on the device.

I am going to talk about what the watch does, Pros & Cons, and Upgrades I would love to see in the future.

Fitbit has many products that track steps and/or heart rate. I selected this one because it also has the GPS tracking for runs. I was previously using the Garmin Forerunner to track my runs, but I liked the idea of having all of my workouts & daily activity synced in one place for easy tracking.

I have been using this product for 3-Months now. I wanted to allow enough time to get used to it and try it in a variety of situations before giving my opinion. I haven’t tried other activity trackers, so I can’t give you a direct comparison, but I can tell you what I like about this product, and what changes I would like to see.

So what does this watch do? 

-Tracks Steps/Activity throughout the day

-Tracks Heart Rate

-Tracks Sleep & Sleep Quality

-Tracks Multi-Sport Workouts, including indoor workouts

-GPS Tracking

-Alarm Clock

-Receives Text Notifications

-Controls Songs from your Phone Playlist

-Wirelessly Syncs with an App on Your Phone

Pros, Cons & Suggested Upgrades

 

-Tracks Steps/Activity throughout the day

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Pros: I love tracking my steps. I find it very motivating, and it encourages me to get my body moving on days that are slow. If I see that my steps are low, I am motivated to get them higher. That might mean walking up and down my staircase, or getting out for a walk or run. Steps are a quick way to show you how much you are moving & to help you spot trends in your workout activity.

Cons: The accuracy of step tracking is dependent on how much you move your arms. If you are walking or running it will track very accurately. If you are pushing a stroller or wheelchair, or carrying something you will not be tracking all of your steps. I am an Occupational Therapist, so I spend a lot of my time pushing wheelchairs of my patients that are too de-conditioned to make the long walk to/from the therapy gym. At work the pedometer on my phone typically says I walk 1000-2000 more steps than my Fitbit reports, because my arm is still while I push a wheelchair. I am currently pregnant, and I plan on running/walking with Baby Bender in a Stroller, so this will impact my tracked steps.

Suggested Upgrades: I would love to see an option to add a tracker that can be placed on your sneakers. If I was the designer, I would create a device, much like the small race chips you tie to your shoelaces, that would sync with the phone to track steps even when your arms aren’t swinging. If you know that you are going to be running or walking while pushing a stroller/wheelchair, or doing a lot of carrying, you can place this device on your shoe to sync for a more accurate step count. It’s not something you would need all the time, and it would be a great option for people impacted by this issue.

-Tracks Heart Rate

Pros: This device tracks your heart rate directly from the watch band. You don’t have to wear a separate heart rate monitor strap across your chest. This is a big pro for me, because I have gotten friction burns, and rubbed off skin under the chest strap of other heart rate monitors (OUCH!) It also tracks your resting heart rate while sleeping, heart rate during each workout, and helps determine your calories burned during the day.

Cons: Occasionally the heart rate has difficulty capturing. The recommendation is to wear the band higher and tighter on the wrist during workouts. Mine seems to be accurate when I compare it to a manual check of my heart rate. My husband has noticed that during runs his heart rate doesn’t always match his rate of perceived exertion, and it seems to be reporting his heart rate on a delay compared to the actual workout. For example, if he is doing a hard interval workout, it might say his heart rate is higher during the “easy” intervals, than during the “hard” intervals.

-Tracks Sleep & Sleep Quality

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Pros: The watch and app work together to show you not only your total number of hours slept each night, but it also tracks your average each week. The tracking is based on how much you move while sleeping. If you toss and turn a lot, it will show that you have a lower quality of sleep. When you stay still it shows deeper portions of your sleep cycle. If you get up to use the bathroom or get some water, it will show that you are awake. You can adjust the sensitivity of the watch to be normal or sensitive.

Cons: None, just check your sensitivity settings for the most accurate reading. I keep mine on normal, but I am very good at sleeping!

-Tracks Multi-Sport Workouts, including indoor workouts

Pros: You can add the activities/workouts that you most commonly use directly on your watch. The watch will automatically recognize walking and running after 10 minutes. You can use the GPS option for outdoor workouts such as running, walking, hiking or biking.

For indoor workouts you select the workout you want & it will track your heart rate, length of workout and calories burned. You can use your heart rate and calorie burn to directly see how much your effort level will impact your burn. When you sync this into the app it will track all of your workouts, and your Active Minutes over the course of the week. You can easily click on each workout, or go to a specific date to see what your workout/activity level was.

Cons: You have to go to the website app to add workouts & sync it to your phone. I was unable to add my desired workouts directly from the watch.

For treadmill workouts you may have to adjust your stride length to make sure your readings are accurate. My treadmill workout readings were under by .3 miles (that’s more than one lap around a track!) per mile. For every mile I ran, it said I was only running .7 miles.

To fix this problem I did both a live chat with a customer service representative, and a twitter request. The twitter request was accurately addressed and I was provided the right information right off the bat. The live chat did not go so well. The customer service representative did not now how to fix the issue, and until I specifically asked if there was a way to adjust stride length for increased accuracy she did not give me any information on this option. She kept saying that if I put in my height and weight correctly, and swung my arms during my workout it should be 100% accurate. When I asked about Stride Length adjustments (I was hoping she would bring it up, so anyone with less technical knowledge of the device would obtain the right information) she was able to provide me with the correct information. The link to fix this issue is below:

For the Most Accurate Stride Length and Step Readings Follow These Steps: Fitbit Help: Adjusting Stride Length.

-GPS Tracking

running 21 weeks pregnant

Pros: The GPS tracking seems to be very accurate. It is comparable to the GPS tracking of my Garmin Forerunner, and clicks the miles off at the same times on my normal running route.

Cons: Satellite connection time varies. Before tracking your workout with GPS your watch will link to satellites to track your mileage. Sometimes this happens instantly, other times it can take a couple of minutes. Using the GPS will run down your battery more quickly. Overall, battery life is good, so this isn’t really an issue, but be aware that if you use the GPS option you will have to re-charge your watch more often afterward.

-Alarm Clock

Confession: I haven’t actually used this option. I have all of my alarms pre-set on my phone. I will make a point to try this out & update this section of the review. I do know it is a silent alarm, and will vibrate to wake you up or alert you of the time.

-Receives Text Notifications

Pros: You can be notified of new text messages & read them directly from your watch.

Cons: It seems like every time I teach a group fitness class I get 15-20 text messages from my boss/co-workers regarding what is on the agenda for the next day. It is very distracting to have your wrist constantly buzzing during your workout, particularly when you know it is work related. I like to focus on my workout with no distractions. You can manage notifications and prevent text messages from going to your watch.

-Controls Songs from your Phone Playlist

Pros: Apparently you can control music/song selection directly from your watch.

Cons: I can’t get this to work with my iPhone. When I double click the back button on my watch the music app says “Not Connected.” There are trouble shooting steps for this problem, but I don’t listen to music during the majority of my workouts so it hasn’t been a big issue for me. I will update this section when I go back and re-sync the playlist.

-Wirelessly Syncs with an App on Your Phone

Pros: It’s very easy to sync your steps to the app. Just open the app in your phone, make sure bluetooth is enabled, and your steps, sleep, workouts, etc, will be loaded into the app. You can look at your total steps directly in the watch, or on the app.

I like having all of my workouts synced and easily referenced in one place.

The app is also fun, because you can add friends and join step/activity challenges with them. You will also get “Badges” and “Trophies” for achieving different activity milestones. It is fun and motivating to participate in the challenges with your friends.

I also like that this app syncs with MyFitnessPal so you can directly see how may calories you take in and how many you are expending.

Cons: I haven’t had any issues with the app or syncing process.

Price

Cost: The fitbit surge retails for $249.95.

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Surprise! 2016 Will Be a Year of Change…..

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Hi Everyone!

We have Big News! We are excited to announce that the BenderFitness team is growing. Jesse and I will be welcoming Baby Bender in late June or early July of 2016. We have been anxiously awaiting the right time to share our wonderful news with all of you. I am 12.5 weeks pregnant, and about to start my second Trimester of pregnancy.

So what does that mean for BenderFitness workouts? I will continue to film new workouts throughout my pregnancy, barring any complications that would prevent me from safely working out. I will not be able to go as full out high intensity during my workouts, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be pushing!

benderfitness announcement 2_Fotor

I have been more tired during the first trimester (and filming far fewer workouts). So I have also decided to start the New Year with a 12-Week Workout Challenge made up of older BenderFitness workout videos. The nice thing about having over 700 workouts in the BenderFitness archive to choose from is that we always have options!

I was torn between hosting three new 30-Day Workout Programs, or hosting my 12-Week Bikini Prep Program with some updated Diet advice and modifications. I have decided to create three new 30-Day Workout Programs that will combine both older BenderFitness Workouts and some of the new ones Jesse and I will be filming. I will also be hosting a new DietBet challenge for those of you with weight loss goals this year, to run along with the workout challenge. It’s been a year since my last DietBet challenge, but I saw people make huge progress with the extra motivation. I will be posting more about the challenge, so be sure to check back!

benderfitness announcement 3_Fotor

I am excited to share another aspect of my fitness journey with you all! It will also be interesting to see how my body responds to pregnancy & post-pregnancy fitness. There are a lot of myths and rumors out there about working out while you are pregnant and I look forward to sharing a lot of helpful information about pre-and-post natal exercise as I embark on this new journey.

Cheers to an Exciting New Year!
Melissa & Jesse

PS We had so much fun shooting our Pregnancy Announcement photos that I couldn’t choose just one to share with you all! Special Thanks to Lee Ann Freeman at Generations Photography & Specialty Gift Shoppe. She did our wedding photos and announcement photos, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!

Bender Announcement

Don’t Drop Out of the Race! 5 Ways to Decrease Your Risk of Dying Early

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Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma 5K

Did you know that you can decrease your risk of dying? You can take action to improve your health and decrease your risk of preventable death. 

In the United States alone, up to 40% of annual deaths from each of the five leading causes of death could have been prevented. You can actively make changes to decrease your risk of dying from:
1. Heart Disease 
2. Cancer
3. Chronic Respiratory Disease
4. Stroke
5. Unintentional Injury

In Healthcare we focus on the Three Levels of Prevention:
1. Primary Prevention: healthy people make changes to their lifestyle to decrease the risk of developing a disease or sustaining an injury. 
2. Secondary Prevention: treating an existing illness or risk factor to prevent further complications or progression of the disease/injury. 
3. Tertiary Prevention: teaching people to manage long term health problems to prevent further decline and maximize quality of life. 

As a Fitness Blogger and an Occupational Therapist, I am actively trying to promote the Primary Prevention Level of Healthcare. If I can help improve even one person’s health, happiness and quality of life than I have done something with my life that I can be proud of. I share workouts and nutrition tips, but there are other changes you can make to improve your health and extend your life. 

What are you willing to do for a healthier life? You’re on my blog, so that means you are probably already exercising, or interested in starting a fitness program. That means you are moving in the right direction!

5 Steps You Can Take to Decrease Your Risk of Dying from a Preventable Disease:

1. Exercise Consistently: Exercise decreases your risk of everything from Alzheimer’s to Diabetes, Stroke and Cancer. Those who exercise consistently are more likely to be at a healthy body fat percentage, which further decreases your risk of dying from a preventable cause. Exercise helps control Blood Pressure, and regulates Blood Sugar and Release of Hormones. 

Maintain strength, cardiovascular health and flexibility to keep your body in optimal health. While you are at it consider signing up for a 5K to support an important cause: Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma 5K. 


2. Provide Your Body Proper Nutrition: A poor diet limits the amount of nutrients you are consuming. Choosing a variety of nutrient dense foods provides your body with the proper sustenance to maximize it’s ability to function at it’s optimal level. Eating a balanced diet also promotes a healthy body weight and muscle/fat ratio. 



3. Decrease Your Risk of Accidental Death: Wear your seat belts and helmets! Do not misuse drugs (prescription or otherwise). Educate yourself on any risk factors involved with your job or hobbies and take action to improve your safety. 



4. Complete Regular Screenings to Monitor Your Risk of Developing an Illness: Biometric screenings, Regular Checks of Blood Pressure, Complete recommended Cancer Screenings. 



5. Limit Exposure to Hazardous Materials: Avoid tobacco use, second hand smoke, and exposure to chemicals. 



Taking care of your body doesn’t only decrease your risk of dying, it also improves your quality of life. You’re worth the effort! What healthy habits have you incorporated into your life? If you’ve made a change or want to share you story comment below, or tag me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@BenderFitness). 

Sources:Up to 40 percent of annual deaths from each of five leading US causes are preventable

Potentially Preventable Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death — United States, 2008–2010

Week 1 Bikini Prep Workouts: Rose’s Update

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Hi Everyone!

Last week I announced that my friend Rose is going to be the first Bender Fitness ambassador. She is now completing my 12 week Bikini Competition Prep Workouts and blogging about her experience on her site: My Change for a Ten. 

She has also been posting great updates, including her daily workout link, her food journal, meal photos and grocery shopping trip ideas on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MyChangeForATen. 

You can follow the workout schedule with Rose here: Bikini Competition Prep Workouts: Month 1. 

BenderFitness Bikini Prep Program Month 1 Results: Melissa



Rose’s Updates:

Rose reports that she is feeling great. She feels that her eating has been on point, and keeping a food journal has been helping. Her stomach feels flatter already, and her energy is better. 

Links to Rose’s daily updates on her blog:
Day 1: CrossRoads for 2015
Day 2: Flying High
Day 3: On the Right Track
Day 4: Looking Back & Forging Forward
Day 5: Soaring in the Heavens
Day 6: Mind Body Spirit

Prior to starting my workout program Rose has been blogging about her weight loss progress. She has lost 45 lbs so far, and makes charitable donations to celebrate every 10 pounds she loses. 

In the past she has organized a Yoga Fundraiser called Down Dog for Cats to support an animal shelter, spent time feeding the homeless with the Monday Night Mission on Skid Row (as well as getting sandwiches and food items donated), and collected Books for Children among others. 

At the conclusion of the 12 Week Program I will be filming a workout with Rose, and taking a Flying Trapeze class with her. The flying trapeze class has been one of Rose’s dreams since she lived in NYC several years ago. She hasn’t taken it yet because she doesn’t feel strong enough. By the time she finishes my 12 Week Program I think she will have the strength and confidence to achieve her goal. 

I will keep posting weekly updates on Rose’s progress, so be sure to check back, and follow her Facebook and Blog pages. 

Have fun! 
Melissa


PS You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Jesse has also been posting Sneak Peek workout videos on his Instagram account (@BenderCrosby1) and I am hosting a 30 Day Instagram Workout Challenge: @BenderFitness 

Rose (middle) with Richard Simmons after taking one of his workout classes



Bored of Your Exercise Routine? 15 Fun Ideas for Active Rest Day

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How many times have you heard people say exercise is boring? Sometimes you need to switch up your routine, get out of that rut and try something new. 

It can become easy to put in the same exercise DVD every day, or go to the gym and do the same workout on the same machines. If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know I switch my workouts up every day. I like the challenge of new experiences. I especially like Active Rest Days. 

Active Rest Days are days when you aren’t doing your “normal” workout routine, but you’re staying busy, getting your body moving, and having fun!

Here are some ideas to make your active rest day more fun! If you have some ideas I haven’t mentioned please post them in the comments below or on my Facebook page!

Hike or Trail Run

1. Go Hiking or try a Trail Run. Going outside can energize you! You can go alone or with a group of friends. Do a quick search to see if you have any outdoor organizations in your area. We have a company nearby that hosts a variety of hikes and outdoor activities from Yoga Hikes, to MicroBrewery Hikes and everything in between. It can also be a good way to make new friends!

Go To a Park and Play

2. Go to a Park and Play! (While you’re there you can try my Quick Playground Workout). 
If you have kids, nieces or nephews, they will be thrilled if you join in on the fun and play with them! 
When my niece and nephew come over we enjoy “Playing Yoga,” going to the park, and “Warrior Training.” When we play yoga we take turns demonstrating a pose and having the others try it. Kids make up some fun (and challenging!) moves if you give them the chance! Warrior Training is basically fun exercises we do together to build up strength like their favorite superheroes. 

Go Swimming
3. Go Swimming! Swimming is a fantastic workout for your entire body. It’s low impact, great for your cardiovascular system and it’s fun!
Go to the Zoo
4. Go to the Zoo. You get to meet animals and spend the day walking. 

Ice Skate or Roller Skate
5. Go Ice Skating or Roller Skating. It’s fun, and you can go with a group of friends! You can burn as many calories as you do jogging and it’s a full body workout. 
Dance!
6. Go Dancing. It doesn’t matter what type of dancing you do! Put on some music, get moving and have fun! Swing Dancing is one of my all time favorite things to do. 
7. Go Rock Climbing. You can do this inside a gym or outdoors. It’s a challenging (but fun!) full body workout. Search for rock climbing gyms near you. 

Zip Line

8. Go Zip Lining. It’s fun, it’s an adventure and it can be physically challenging! Check out the video below for our zip line experience, and you can glimpse just a few of the obstacles we got to conquer along the way. We took my mom for her birthday and she loved it!

9. Go On an Adventure Tour. You might be able to find local tours for caving, spelunking, white water rafting, rappelling, or a variety of other fun activities! See if you can get a group of friends together for an adventure! 

Ride a Bike
10. Go on a Bike Ride. I love bike riding, it’s fun, relaxing, you get to be outside and explore. Sometimes when Jesse is doing a hard run I bike next to him to help him keep pace. It’s a fun way to get moving and enjoy yourself. If you don’t have a bike look into bike rentals. Our city has downtown bike rentals, and most of our local parks rent bikes as well. 

11. Rent a Kayak, Canoe, or Row Boat. We live near plenty of rivers and lakes so this is one of our favorite warm weather activities. We also love to kayak and stay active when we go on vacation. It’s a lot of fun, it’s challenging, and it’s a great core and arm workout. 

12. Go Boating and/or Parasailing. Be open to new experiences. They can energize you, make you feel alive, and challenge you in ways you don’t expect!

13. Play Mini-Golf or go to the Driving Range. This is another of our favorite warm weather activities, and a good one to do with friends. 
14. Play Frisbee Golf. It’s a real game, with rules and everything! One of our state parks has a Frisbee Golf Course set up. You hike through the woods as part of the course. You can always modify and play in an open field with friends. 

15. Bring your Yoga Practice Outside. Remember, your workouts don’t have to be confined to your house or gym! Be creative, just getting into a new environment can stimulate your mind and body in new ways. 

In conclusion: Be Silly! Don’t be afraid to have fun and get a little bit goofy! Try something new and different. What’s on your to-do list? 


Day 21: Active Rest Day

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Hi Everyone!

I ended up having a super busy day for Day 21, plus I was feeling exhausted so I knew it was time for an active rest day. 

What is an active rest day? 

An active rest day is a day when you don’t do a full out workout, but you stay active. You might go for a light walk or hike, jog, ride your bike at a leisurely pace, or do a gentle yoga flow. Your heart rate might become slightly elevated during these activities, but you shouldn’t be overly challenging your cardiovascular system. 

Research has shown that engaging in low intensity exercise reduces lactic acid build up in muscles more quickly than complete rest (this means less muscle soreness and faster recovery). This study also showed increased power in workouts after active recovery. 

I recently took up archery, so that has been my active rest day activity of choice. The focus is on form, and it is a full body activity. It’s a fun way to stay active, while also allowing my body some recovery time.  Archery and yoga are two of my favorite active rest activities because they combine physical and mental benefits. I feel that they improve my concentration and body awareness.

What do you enjoy doing on your active rest days? 

Melissa

Source: 
Effects of active recovery on plasma lactate and anaerobic power following repeated intensive exercise. Ahmaidi S, Granier P, Taoutaou Z, Mercier J, Dubouchaud H, Prefaut C. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 1996 Apr;28(4):450-6. PMID: 8778550

Getting Better!



What Is Fit and Healthy?

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Written by: Suzanne McCurdy

So you are ready to make a change, or perhaps you are already deep into that change and not quite sure how to balance your new healthy life with your old lifestyle?  

At some point in modern society we have all slipped up and gone taken the fast route through the drive thru, popped that frozen dinner in the microwave, or just grabbed a bag of chips and called it dinner.   It’s too easy not to have done this at some point, but now you don’t want that life.  

You want to live a healthy life like generations before us, or you just want to keep your healthy lifestyle going without sacrificing some of your favorite past times with family and friends.  Let’s face it, when we gather food is usually involved.    

Food is welcoming. Feeding someone is a sign of caring so don’t stop! Just make some new wonderful stuff they wouldn’t even imagine.  I love going to a friend’s party and finding fresh hummus and veggies, a rotisserie chicken and fruit for the spread!  (Check out: Healthy Holiday Entertaining). 



When there are healthy options available I can have that one drink, eat well, and not feel like I’m going to regret it in the morning. I don’t feel miserably full from junk and can laugh and dance with my friends. You would be surprised how happy people are when you put out something outside of the norm.  

At some point we are all faced with questions, “I’m healthy and I’m being healthy, but why won’t this tummy go away?” or “shouldn’t my arms be tighter?”  We are all faced with the healthy vs. vanity conundrum.  Some come to an acceptance that those 8lbs of vanity weight really don’t matter and you stop worrying. Others of us really wish we could get a restraining order to force those 8 lbs. to stay as far away from us as possible.  

The point is you have to choose.  How important is it for you to look like the fitness model in the magazine?  PS…they probably did a special diet and a possible water deplete before that shoot.  It’s okay if you don’t want a six pack, that is not the definition of being fit.  Decide what your definition of a fit life and body should look like and be happy with it.  

Learn to appreciate the choices of those around you. It’s not a reflection on you that they choose to workout 2 hours a day to your 30 minutes, you are both being fit and healthy.  

Still not sweatin’ the small stuff?  How often do you let yourself get out of your comfort zone?  Change is natural with as unnatural as it can feel.  Think about the planet earth (corny but go with me here), we change each year, all the time: seasons (some parts of the world more than others), weather, even day to night. Change is truly natural.  

Change is happening all the time even when we cannot see it.  Long before those leaves change colors and fall off the tree change is happening within and we don’t see it, but that is where faith, persistence, and discipline come in.  Changes are happening in your body long before it shows on the outside.   We just have to go with it, accept it and let it happen. Learn to feel alive when you are outside of your comfort zone.

This leads me to stress.  It should not be stressful to live healthfully.  However we all do it, we stress over the number on the scale, over the size of jeans we are buying and the pinch of fat on our sides.  However, what most people don’t realize is that stress is wreaking havoc in your body.  While the world around us has changed from century to century and even decade to decade (hello let’s remember the 80s!) our bodies have relatively remained the same.  

When we stress our internal systems have no idea that we have an abundance of food surrounding us or that we are really stressed over an email from our boss shortening an already short deadline.  Our bodies go straight into survival mode!  Our bodies only know one type of stress:  “There is no food and a Sabre tooth tiger wants to eat us!”  What does that mean?  Store fat, stop all systems and conserve energy ASAP!  This means your goals are now on the back burner, not by your choice, but by your bodies.

So while you have goals and you are a driven person and want to reach these goals, be proud of what you have accomplished so far.  Even if that accomplishment is simply that you got up this morning and did the cardio you told yourself you would start today.  You deserve to be proud of that.



Hi, Suzanne here! A little about me! I’m 33 currently serving in the Air Force and also serving as an Army wife to my amazing husband and soldier. I love to run and eat healthy! I have a B.S. in Dietetics from Texas Woman’s University and am a certified personal trainer.  I have run races, competed in fitness competitions, and most recently added nutritional counseling to my resume.  Motivating others is my passion.  I love this so much I have to remind myself from time to time that it is a job or just pinch myself.  I do not believe in a one size fits all and that each body is different.  Therefore I work hard to help each and every person find their fit and what fit means to them.

You can find Suzanne at:
https://www.facebook.com/NutritionSnobclothing
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nutritionsnob

Climbing Wall: Fun Activities for a Fit Lifestyle

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Hi Everyone!

On Sunday (the day after my first half marathon!) I got in a great, and different workout. I headed to a local rock climbing gym with my friend Giles Lajevic Augustine. 

Giles is one of the most interesting people that I know. Jesse calls him an “International Man of Mystery.” He has found something that he loves, and he lives his life around it. He is a world traveling skier, rock climber, film maker, writer, and all around adventurer. 
You can follow him on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/500snowdays
and Tumblr here: 
http://500snowdays.tumblr.com/

Giles gave me some great tips, and made all of the climbs look much easier than they actually were. 🙂 

Remember, fitness comes in many forms. It’s good to go outside of the box and try something new (rock climbing, biking, skiing, hiking, kyacking, etc). Rock climbing is incredibly challenging, requiring full body strength, endurance, and forethought. When you try it don’t be surprised if you find yourself breathing heavily and dripping sweat. 
We have two rock climbing gyms locally. Both have bouldering areas (which do not require ropes or harnesses), and top roping courses. If you have a climbing gym near you I highly recommend checking it out. 

If you are just starting out don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Most gyms have climbs marked for all different levels (beginner to advanced).

Over the past few years I haven’t climbed as much as I like, but I plan on changing that. 🙂 

See you tomorrow with a new home workout,
Melissa

PS You may remember Giles from his article about the Paleo diet: Walk Like a Paleolithic Ancestor. 




1 Month Diet/Tighten Up Challenge: Abs Are Made in the Kitchen

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Hi Everyone!

Tomorrow starts a brand new month, and with it Jesse and I are starting a new challenge. You are welcome to join us in the challenge. We will be sharing our progress throughout the month. 

My challenge is a month without sweets, and keeping a food log. 

Jesse’s challenge is to complete daily core strengthening exercises. 

Why did we select these challenges? 

Melissa

1. I have been eating (and craving) sweets much more than usual lately. While I do believe that healthy lifestyles should include indulgences, having high quantities of sweets can create addictions and cravings. When you limit your intake of processed sweets full of refined sugars you re-set your taste buds so that natural sugars (like fruit) becomes sweeter and more satisfying. 

2. Keeping a food log makes you more aware of what you are putting into your body, and portion sizes. Also, when you have to write down (or even better, take photos) of all of your meals it’s an extra incentive to make healthy choices. 

Jesse
1. Core strengthening is imperative for maintaining proper form as a runner. This is especially true for long distances, as form tends to disintegrate as you get tired. 

2. Jesse says “I want my abs to look good. Especially during swimming season.” He’s sick of people saying “I’m 29, it’s not possible to have abs anymore.” 

3. “I want to be as attractive as I can to my wife.” (awwww! He has already succeeded there.)

For the next month we will be sharing our progress with these challenges (along with our normal workouts!) If you are joining us let us know how your progress is going!

The plan:

Starting tomorrow you can expect to see a daily update of my food log. I will be aiming for around 1800 calories (more if it’s a more intense workout day). Nutrition fuels your body, so along the way I will be paying attention to how I feel throughout the day and during my workouts. 

Each day Jesse will be completing one of my shorter ab workouts, or selecting exercises that work each muscle group in the core. We will share his workout/exercises each day, as well as his progress and how he feels it is impacting his running time. 

Feel free to post comments or recipes along the way, either here of on my facebook page: www.facebook.com/MelissaBenderFitness

Other Posts you might enjoy:
Abs Are Made in the Kitchen Meal Prep
Healthy Vegetable Grilled Cheese Recipe
Green Smoothie
Tuna Stuffed Egg Whites
Bean Salad: Easy, Quick and Healthy

Depression, Serotonin and Exercise: Getting Your Motivation Back

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Hi Everyone,

I have been thinking a lot about motivation lately. I have been having a hard time getting motivated for my workouts. If you have been following my blog you probably know how crazy and out of character that is for me. 

I love working out. I love sharing my workouts on my blog, and hearing about the progress of those of you who follow my workouts. This is my passion, and my hobby. So where has my motivation gone? 

The first step to getting your motivation back is pinpointing the cause of de-motivation. 

1. Exhaustion: If you are not getting enough sleep your body may be lacking the energy required to workout, or engage in other activities that you normally enjoy. 

2. Feeling Over Whelmed: Have you ever had so many obligations at one time that you feel pulled in multiple directions? Eventually you may start to feel that you aren’t as successful as you would like to be at any one endeavor, because you are spread to thin. There isn’t enough of you to go around. 

3. Stress:  This can be caused by a variety of things. Change, both good and bad, can be stressful. Major life events (birth of a child, marriage, job change, move, graduation, etc) can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and cortisol levels. 

4. Lack of Enjoyment/Reward: Perhaps you aren’t motivated because you just don’t enjoy the task at hand. Instant gratification is short lived, but it can be very tempting, even if it is at the cost of long term goals. 

5. Depression: There are several types of depression. Some depression starts in response to a specific event or experience, and other types of depression seemingly appear out of no where. Many studies have linked depression to decreased functioning of serotonin receivers in the brain, reduction in chemical reactions which allow serotonin transport in the brain, or decreased serotonin production in the brain. 

Once you have identified the cause of your decrease in motivation you can take steps to rectify it. 

Sleep is the easiest cure. Sometimes you just need to take a day off and let your body rest. When I don’t get enough sleep I get a double whammy: I don’t want to workout, and I crave high calorie foods that I normally don’t even like! Studies have shown that getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night leads to an average increase in caloric intake of 360 calories per day. 

If you are overwhelmed it may be beneficial to prioritize. Try to decrease the number of obligations you have, or the amount of time spent on less important obligations. Remember, your mental and physical health need to be on your priority list. Without these two things the rest of your to-do list is going to suffer. 

Stress is a part of life. Sometimes you need to recognize what is causing you stress, and find ways to cope. Some things you can’t control, but you can control your reaction to stress, and how much time/energy you dedicate to it. For example, if you get road rage and someone cuts you off you may find yourself still angry about it long after the offending driver is gone. If you’re still upset it may help to take a minute and realize you are giving them more time and power out of your life than they deserve. Your anger does not affect them in any way, but it’s still affecting your life and mood. Are they worth it? 

Lack of Reward. Instant gratification vs. long term results. Sometimes vegging out on the couch sounds more satisfying (and easier!) than a hard workout. Or perhaps that piece of cake looks better than a nutritious and healthy meal. Sometimes having long term goals is disheartening because it takes a long time to get there. This is why I am big on celebrating all of your victories along the way! Is your goal to run a 5K? Maybe you can’t run more than 2 blocks without walking. Celebrate and give yourself credit the first time you run 3 blocks! Is your goal to go from a size 18 to 12? Don’t beat yourself up because you are only down to a size 16, that’s progress! A new outfit can be a great motivator. 

Depression: This can be the hardest one to deal with. Sometimes depression can be a cumulative effect of all the things listed above. Sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere. If you find that you are having suicidal thoughts it’s time to see a doctor. Exercise and nutrition have been shown to decrease depression, but sometimes you also need additional intervention. 

So what has been the cause of my lack of motivation? It’s a combination of many things. 
1. I have been tired. Staying up to late, and getting up early. My body requires sleep and I wasn’t listening. 
2. At times I have a tendency to take on to many projects. I don’t believe in limitations, which means I want to do a little bit of everything! Normally this is okay, but with my increased tiredness I felt that I wasn’t giving all of my projects my full effort. I want to do things successfully. Set a goal, achieve it, set a new goal. The last two months have been very busy and I felt like I was “fitting in” the things that are important to me. Things that I love seemed to fall by the wayside of obligations. 
3. Stress. Remember, even positive changes create stress. I switched jobs, my sister got married and is now having a baby, and Jesse and I are house hunting. I thought house hunting would be fun. Turns out not so much! We found a house that we loved, and it didn’t work out. I’m still not over the disappointment. 
4. Normally I find exercise intrinsically motivating. I love how it makes me feel. 
5. Depression. I found myself feeling moody, down, and negative. Plus, I was angry at myself for feeling that way because it is so out of character for me. Jesse was doing everything he could to cheer me up and it wasn’t working, so I also felt guilty for bringing down his mood. 

End result: me lying in my bed with the lights off and curtains drawn, moping and feeling sorry for myself. I started to think about two things. First, that I was making a choice to lay there and pout. If that was my choice I had to accept the responsibility for walking in that room and deciding to be stagnant and doing nothing to change the situation. Second, I thought about neuroscience and chemical reactions in the brain (yes I am a nerd, and honestly I like it that way). Science has shown that exercise increases the amount of serotonin in your body. My normal amount of exercise has been significantly decreased lately. Could this have created a “deficit” of serotonin in my body, as compared to what I have become accustomed to? Could part of my moodiness be a chemical reaction that I was feeding through inactivity? 

Decision time: Lay in the dark or do a workout? My body felt heavy and exhausted, walking upstairs to my room had felt like maximum effort so working out didn’t sound good. I decided to go for a run. I gave myself permission to go as slowly as I wanted, or even take walking breaks if I needed to. 

End Result: I strapped on my i-pod, stepped outside, and started to run. I found myself thinking “Today running is my therapy.” I went at a pace that felt good to my body. I tried to combine running and yoga and exist in the moment. When my watch beeped to indicate my first mile was done I glanced down and was surprised to see that I had done it in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. Slower than race pace, but faster than my normal running days. Mile 2 of my loop is almost all uphill so again I focused on the physical feeling of running. My second mile was 9:19. For the third mile I found myself thinking about how comfortable this run felt, I was putting in some effort but not giving 100%. I clicked off mile 3 in 7:26. I glanced down again at the 5K point and saw that I did an “accidental 5K” in 25:15. I still had half a mile to get home, but I took a moment to think about how fast my body must actually move during a 5K, and I wondered when this became a comfortable pace for me. 

I walked into the house and Jesse asked me how I felt. I had finished my 3.6 mile run in 28:52. I felt strong, I felt healthy, and I felt grateful for what my body was capable of. Even if I had completed this run 10 minutes slower I think I would have felt grateful that my determination and will power were strong enough to get me moving when I felt like moping. I was faced with a decision, and I chose action. Suddenly I felt like myself again.  

I am heading out for a trail run with Jesse, and there will be a new workout posted tonight. Let’s keep motivating each other! I would love to hear what you do to get motivated. 

Melissa


Eat Like Bender! A Typical Day of Meals

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Hi Everyone,

By popular request on my facebook page, I am writing about my diet. I have given you a glimpse into my meal prep with photos in my post: Abs Are Made in the Kitchen. I have shared my grocery list: Melissa Bender’s Grocery List, which also has pictures of some typical meals. You can also see meal pictures on my Instagram page. 

Whatever I meal prep on Sundays I tend to eat for lunch during the week. Below is a sample day of eating. It is pretty typical. The veggies may change. (I love vegetables)! Sometimes I crave a bowl full of broccoli or mixed veggies with a touch of marinara sauce.

I average between 1900-2000 calories per day. I eat/snack all day long. I am hungry every few hours, so I bring a lot of food to work with me. I have chicken and salmon salads pre-packed in my fridge right now. I have one for lunch Mon-Friday and some weekends. I always keep a granny smith apple in my lunch (which I may have as a morning snack, with lunch, or afternoon snack. I listen to my bodies hunger signals). I also drink 10-12 glasses of water per day. 

There is no trick or crazy diet technique. I try to eat primarily foods that are unprocessed. I cook/prepare almost all of my meals at home. I eat when I am hungry, and try to make healthy choices. I incorporate all of the food groups into my diet. I am super busy so I don’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I try to keep meal prep simple. 

Here’s a glimpse into what I eat. 
Melissa


Breakfast



-Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin or Ezekial Low Sodium Bread
1 Egg
Fresh Baby Spinach
Hummus

-Or Oatmeal with Maple Brown Sugar and Fresh Walnuts. (If I have oatmeal, I have my breakfast sandwich as my 10 AM snack). 

-Coffee with Coconut Almond Milk (unsweetened) or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk


Snack
-Apple, Orange or Banana
-or Trail Mix, Granola, or Triscuits
-or Breakfast Sandwich





Lunch


-Chicken or Salmon
-Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
-3-4 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
-Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt
-Veggies (whatever I have prepped for the week)
-4 oz Sweet Potato (sometimes)



Snack


-Banana sliced in half with Organic Peanut Butter
-or PB Greek Yogurt (if I didn’t have it for lunch)
-or PB Bread
-or Green Smoothie

Dinner
-Salmon or Chicken
-Broccoli



Snack
-Cereal (Raisin Bran or Shredded Wheat) (about 1 cup)
-Coconut Almond Milk
-or Bowl of Veggies, plain or with red sauce. 

Note: These are not the only foods that I eat. This is an example of a typical day of eating. Over the next few days I will try to remember to take pictures of my food to share with you. I will try to share a week’s worth of meals. 

Below are two pictures of alternate dinners I have had recently:



Tilapia or Salmon Soft Tacos


Home Gym Must Have List: Top 10

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Hi Everyone,

You all know that I do my workouts at home, or outside. I don’t belong to a gym, so I have made my home into a gym. While it is possible to get a great workout using body weight exercises, adding some equipment to your home gym can greatly increase the versatility of your workouts. You have probably noticed by now that I enjoy a LOT of variety in my workouts. 🙂 

This is my “Must Have” list for having a home gym that will meet all of your needs. If you have something else you use to workout with at home feel free to leave a comment! If you don’t have these items don’t panic! You can still have plenty of great home workout options. These items will just add to those options.

1. Interval Timer: I do a lot of HIIT workouts. My Gymboss Interval Timer is useful for timing exercises at home, and keeping track of interval workouts when I am running outside. It can be distracting to keep looking at your watch during workouts. With my interval timer I don’t have to slow down. I just keep going until the timer beeps. Bonus: it can also be used as a stop watch. 

2. Yoga Mat: I have a variety of yoga mats. They are perfect for any yoga, pilates, or floor work you are going to do. I am often asked if there is a difference in yoga mats (cheaper vs. more expensive). The best yoga mat I have ever used is a rubber yoga mat, which is of course more expensive. I loved the fact that my hands didn’t slip at all on this mat, even when I got sweaty. If you decide to get a rubber mat check to make sure you are getting one that is made from natural or recycled rubber. As far as thickness: thicker mats are more comfortable and provide some cushion and support for your joints and back. However, thicker mats are also more challenging to balance on. 

3. Kettle Bell and/or Dumbbells: I love the versatility you have with kettle bells and dumbbells. You can incorporate them into a variety of workout moves to increase the resistance and challenge of the exercise. They come in a variety of weights and sizes so you can select the one that is right for your level of fitness. 

4. Barbell/Free Weights: If you are looking to increase the amount of weight you use, owning a barbell and some free weights will be very beneficial. I have free weights that I can use individually (they have cut out areas for you to grip the weight), and I can put weights on my bar for a variety of exercises. My favorite weighted exercises are Squats, Romanian Deadlifts, Bulgarian Split Squats, and Good Mornings. I want to buy some heavier weights for my bar. Of course you can use weights for a huge variety of exercises. I like having options and the ability to switch up my routine. 

5. Ultimate Body Press Dip Stand: This is the brand I use, but other brands would also be effective. I love this piece of equipment for it’s versatility. I most often use it to work my arms, abs and chest. It is important to maintain variety in your workouts, and there is a lot you can do  with the dip station. 

6. Pull Up Bar: I have a door frame pull up bar. Pull ups, chin ups, and hanging leg raises are a great addition to any workout. This piece of equipment will help strengthen your back, shoulders, and arms. Also, if you enjoy rock climbing or bouldering it can help you increase your strength and endurance. (If you’ve never tried rock climbing before, check to see if there are any climbing walls near you. It’s a great fun way to stay active and fit!)

7. Stability Ball: I love my stability ball. It allows you to perform a variety of challenging variations of body weight exercises. Decline push ups, stability mountain climbers, and moves to intensify ab and butt workouts are just a few. Plus, sitting on a stability ball while you work or watch TV can help strengthen your core, and facilitate good posture. 

8. Jump Rope: A jump rope is an easy way to add cardio into your workout. You can add intervals, increase fat burning and cardiovascular endurance with this inexpensive piece of equipment. Not sure? Check out Health Benefits of Jump Roping

9. Bosu Ball: This is on my wish list. I love the Bosu Ball because it can increase the challenge of almost any workout move. You can add a balance challenge to lunges, squats, step ups, and core exercises to name a few. 

10. Resistance Bands: These are a great tool to increase resistance during your workout, without requiring the use of additional weights. You can use them to increase the challenge of a variety of exercises. These bands come in varying resistance, so you can grade your workout for your own level of fitness. 

11. Treadmill: I know, this is a top ten list. Consider this the bonus item. If you can afford it, and have room for it a treadmill is a great addition to your home gym. Preferably a model that has an incline feature. Treadmills can be great for running, walking, and interval workouts. Despite my best intentions in the winter months I often can’t force myself outside into the cold to run, so a treadmill is a great option. Also, if I want to be active, while keeping it low impact I will grab my kindle, and read while walking on the treadmill. You get better results when you focus on the workout instead of a book, movie or magazine, but if the alternative is laying on the couch and reading you are still benefiting by spending time on the treadmill. 

I hope you found this list useful. If you don’t have these items don’t worry about it. You can still get a great workout at home with just your body weight! These tools are not necessary, but they can be beneficial in increasing the versatility and challenge of your workout.  

Thanks, Support, and Fitness Magazine

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Hi Everyone,

The Unofficial results are in for Fitness Magazine‘s “Face of Fitness” contest, and I am number one!!!! They still have to validate all of the votes, to make it official. Hopefully that happens soon!

I have been really amazed by the amount of support I received for my entry into this contest. That has been absolutely heart warming, and brought tears to my eyes more than once. When I saw people sharing, and commenting every day to tell me that they were voting the feeling it gave me was indescribable. 

So thank you to all of my family and friends, to the members of the Freedom Cross Country Team (and their amazing families!!!), to everyone on Facebook who shared the link and urged others to vote, to the amazingly supportive community on MyFitnessPal and every one else who supported me in this. 

I said in my video yesterday, while I was still in second place, that I already felt like a winner just because of the support I received and that remains true whether I am the Unofficial or Official winner. 

The stories of so many of the women in the contest were amazing and inspiring. Stories of struggle, success, motivation, and life long fitness. They all inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing, the same way you all inspire me day after day. 

If I am declared the Official Winner of this week’s Reader’s Choice award, it makes me the Reader’s Choice semi-finalist for this week. That means I am eligible to compete for a spot in the finals, from which the editors will select a winner. It also means I win a gift certificate. 😀 

Regardless of the eventual outcome, this contest has shown me how blessed I am to have this kind of support. I am filled with joy over the response I have gotten. So thank you all a million times over. Let’s all keep influencing the world to live a fit, happy and healthy life.  I will see you later today with a brand new workout!

Thank you!
Melissa

Challenge Yourself: Overcoming Fear

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Extended Side Crane Pose
Hi Everyone,

When was the last time you tried something challenging? If it was today, congratulations! Challenge leads to change, and increased strength. Challenges can show you just what you are capable of, and help show you what you need to do to grow stronger. 

Challenge can be physical, mental or a combination of both. Often the greatest challenge is overcoming the belief that you can’t do something. This belief creates a fear of trying that can be incredibly limiting. Without trial and error you never discover what you are capable of. It is through challenge that your body, and mind adapt and discover new abilities. 

My challenge to you today is to go outside of your comfort zone, and try something new. 

As you guys know I am a certified yoga instructor. In honor of Yoga Month I decided to challenge myself to start doing more arm balances. Arm balances require strength, balance, and overcoming fear. I have often found that when teaching students to do an arm balance, fear prevents them from successfully performing a pose that they are physically capable of. 

Stop letting fear limit you. The more you practice overcoming fear, the easier it becomes. Each time you do something that makes you nervous you become a little bit stronger, and before you know it you are doing something you didn’t know you were capable of. 

I am not just talking about physical fear. Fear of failure can be a huge hurdle in life. To me the only true failure is not trying at all. Remember, the biggest limitations in life are the ones you impose on yourself. They are formed by the things it never occurs to you to try. 

Good luck! Let me know if you accept my challenge, and what you are trying today.
Melissa

Side Crane Pose-Parsva Bakasana

Our Trip to Coba: Climbing Nohoch Mul

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Jesse and I ready to climb Nohoch Mul. The tallest Mayan temple in the Yucatan Peninsula. 
Hi Everyone,

I already wrote about the first half of our Coba Mayan Adventure tour with Alltournative Tours: Coba Maya Encounter Adventure. You can read my review here: Our Mayan Adventure and see pictures of our amazing experience rappelling, riding ziplines, hiking through the jungle, kayaking, interacting with the Mayan people, and swimming in the beautiful underground cenotes. 
The second part of our tour included a trip to Coba, where we were able to explore many ruins, and climb Nohoch Mul. Nohoch Mul is the highest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula. There are 124 steps to get to the top, and the ascent is very steep. There is a thick rope going up the middle of the pyramid to assist climbers in getting to the top. 

Our tour with Alltournative included a 45 minute tour at Coba, after which you had time to explore the ruins. I was anxious to explore the ruins and climb Nohoch Mul so we skipped the tour and began exploring. You have three options for getting around Coba, which is covers a large area. You can walk around and explore the ruins, rent a bicycle for 35 pesos (about $3 in American money) or take a “Mexican Limousine,” which is a bicycle with a cart in front of it where you will be carried around the site. 

Jesse and I opted for the bike ride, because we thought it would be fun to ride through the jungle. The paths are made of white limestone, and it was a beautiful ride.  The limestone limits the growth of the trees, so the height of the jungle has remained the same for many years. 
Jesse biking at Coba.


Jesse and I were able to walk straight to the top of Nohoch Mul without taking any rest breaks, and there were people of all ages climbing the pyramid. At the top there was even a group of people meditating at the Temple of the Descending God. 

Jesse captured the Mayan Spirit and channeled Sin Cara. 🙂

Jesse at the top. You can see how steep the climb is. 

At the top of the pyramid you get to see a view quite similar to what the ancient Mayan priests would have seen. Our tour guide called the view the Green Sea, because as you look out the gorgeous green of the jungle below stretches out in all directions. 

At the top of Nohoch Mul. 

The view was beautiful. 

 At the top of the pyramid is the Temple of the Descending God. There were several people sitting around the temple meditating. 

Jesse in the doorway of the Temple of the Descending God at the top of Nohoch Mul. 

The “Green Sea” stretched out in all directions as you gaze outward from the top of Nohoch Mul. Due to the limestone limiting the height of the trees the view is likely very similar to what the ancient Mayan priests saw over 1500 years ago. 

At the top of Nohoch Mul you can see why the view is called the Green Sea. 

Jesse contemplating the view. 

Descending was more difficult than going up. We spent a long time at the top enjoying the experience and the view, and the site became more crowded. Many people took rest breaks on the way up and down, sitting on the steps. Some people came with their families, and it was wonderful to see three generations experiencing this climb together. 

As we descended the pyramid of Nohoch Mul Jesse felt adventurous. 

I wanted to do yoga at the top of Nohoch Mul, but it became crowded. I went into Dancer’s Pose as we descended. 

You can see how steep and high the steps were. It was a lovely climb to the top. 
Tarantula at Nohoch Mul

Keep an eye out for the natural wonders around you. We spotted several lizards, and this tarantula. The spider was about the size of my entire hand. 

Jesse taking in Nohoch Mul from the base. 

After climbing down Jesse and I took some time to process the experience, and marvel at the opportunity we had to visit a structure that has stood for so long. The sites at Coba are still being excavated and the majority of the structures remain untouched. Modern archaeologists are still discovering much about the Mayan culture that existed at Coba. 


If you have a chance to visit and climb Nohoch Mul, I encourage you to seize the moment. It was a beautiful trip, and a wonderful experience. Jesse and I loved remaining active on our trip and learning some of the history of the Mayan people. 

Visiting the Mayan ruins was on my Bucket List. I still have more to visit, and I would like to visit Coba again and spend some more time there. 

Exploring some of the other ruins at Coba. 

Tiki Hut Workout: Riviera Maya, Mexico

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Leg/Hip Lift

Dive Bomber

Hi Everyone,

This is another workout that I did while I was in Mexico. I was originally planning on filming on the beach, but it was super bright, and the video was washed out, so we filmed in the archery area at the resort. 

We stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar, and they had a ton of activities available to keep you active. We competed in the Archery competition. Jesse took first place, and I took fourth place. We got video of that too. I was pretty happy, for my first time shooting! 

This is a fun, full body workout. You don’t need any equipment, but you will definitely work up a sweat! This workout will help you tone your abs, butt, legs, and arms. 

I hope you enjoy the workout, and you do get to see the view down to the ocean in this video. 🙂
Melissa

Beginner: 10 reps
Intermediate: 15 reps
Advanced: 20 reps

Or complete this as a HIIT workout, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds of rest, and go for max reps. Be sure to keep track!

Repeat 1-3X

1. Burpee
2. Leg/Hip Lift
3. Side Plank Frogger
4. Lunge Kick (right)
5. Lunge Kick (left)
6. Dive Bomber
7. Round Kick (right)
8. Round Kick (left)
9. Hip Press (right)
10. Hip Press (left)

Beach Yoga: Riviera Maya, Mexico

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Hi Everyone,

This is a really short yoga flow that I did on the beach. I was walking on the board walk with Jesse, and I just felt the urge to do some yoga. 🙂 I have hours of footage from our trip. I forgot to bring the battery charger for our camera, but I did remember the charger for the video camera. 

I actually love that I get to re-live so much of our trip through video. 

I hope you guys enjoy this yoga flow. It’s very short, but the location just called to me. I also took a yoga class that was offered by the resort on the beach while I was there. I didn’t film it because I didn’t want to make any of the other class members uncomfortable. That would definitely impact their experience negatively. 

Enjoy,
Melissa

Our Mayan Adventure with AllTourNative Tours

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Jesse and I in the under ground cave, ready to swim in the Cenote.

Hi Everyone!


Jesse and I returned from Mexico yesterday. We had such an amazing experience I can’t wait to take another trip down there. One of the best parts of our trip was the excursion we took with Alltournative Tours. Click on their name to visit the website. If you are going to Cancun or the Riviera Maya you should do one of their tours. 

We booked the Coba Mayan Encounter Adventure. Our tour guide was Danique, and our driver was Paco. They were both fabulous. They were knowledgeable and fun. Danique was able to seamlessly explain each activity in several different languages as our group consisted of individuals from the USA, Montreal, Belgium, and Germany. 

The tour included rappelling into a cenote, riding zip lines through the jungle, swimming in a cenote, participating in a Mayan purification ceremony, and eating a lunch prepared by some of the Mayan people. We ended with a trip to Coba, and climbed Nohoch Mul, the tallest ruin in the Yucutan Penninsula, and one of the few that remain open to the public. 

Zip Line over the Jungle.
If you love staying active, and exploring on your vacation this would be the perfect trip for you. I am going to share the different aspects of our tour experience.  

Entering the Cave to swim in the Cenote.
Cave to the Cenote

Jesse and I both agreed that the best part of our trip was entering and swimming in a Cenote. This was an amazing experience, and on a future trip we would like to explore more cenotes. The photo above was the cave entrance into the cenote. The entrance was very narrow, but as you can see in the photo it opened up to a staircase. 

Jesse heading into the cave

The water of the cenote was gorgeous and clear. We kayaked and hiked through the jungle to get to the cenote, and the water was refreshingly cool. We showered before entering the cave, to prevent contamination of the water with sunscreen and insect repellent. 


Jesse did a flip into the crystal waters of the Cenote. 
I danced into the Cenote.
In the Cenote. The water was amazing and clear. 
Jesse underwater swimming in the Cenote. 

I definitely recommend bringing an underwater camera on your trip. You can see how amazing the water was. The water was deep, but you could clearly see down to the very bottom. 


Prior to entering the cenote we participated in a Mayan Purification Ritual. The ceremony was beautiful, and hearing the Mayan language was an experience in it’s self. Danique was able to explain the ritual, and some of the beliefs of the Mayan culture. After swimming in the cave we returned to the Mayan Village and ate a delicious feast prepared by the Mayan people. The food included: vegetable soup, black beans, rice, spaghetti, empanadas, chicken, tortillas, hibiscus tea, and a yummy juice. I was so busy eating the delicious food that I forgot to take pictures!

Kayaking through the jungle to get to the Cenote. Later we ziplined over this area. 
Another highlight of our tour was rappelling down into the Cenote of Life. Some of the members of our tour group were very nervous, but everyone conquered their fears, and lowered themselves down into the cenote. 
Rappelling down into the Cenote of Life. 
Jesse Rappelled like a Pro. 

We also zip lined over the jungle. Flying through the air, in such a beautiful location was a lot of fun. Plus, it was a stepping stone to convincing Jesse to go sky diving with me. 😉 


Ready to ride the Zip Line. 

After lunch we took a short drive from the Mayan Village to the ruins of Coba. Coba is an experience in it’s self and I could have easily spent an entire day there exploring the ruins. I am going to make a separate post about the Coba portion of our trip. 


Overall, this was an amazing experience of a lifetime. If you go to Mexico please take the time to visit some of the Cenotes. You will not regret it! Alltournative was great, and I loved that they have partnered with the Mayan people. This partnership helps preserve the Mayan culture, and allows people an opportunity to work while remaining a part of the culture they grew up in. The Mayan people clearly take pride in their culture, and seemed happy to share it with us. Together they are embracing a sustainable approach to eco-tourism. Too often as expansion occurs native people, and cultures are lost to “progress and development.” 
It was wonderful to be able to experience parts of the Mayan culture, while supporting it’s people. Jesse and I both agree that this was a 5 Star experience. I would love to take another of their tours in the future. 

Don’t forget, creating a healthy lifestyle means staying active, and pursing things that make you happy. So go out and try something new and exciting. It can be something in your own area, but try to expand your experience of the world around you. We live in an amazing world. 🙂

Melissa

I Don’t Want To! Getting Motivated to Workout

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Hi Everyone,

You may have noticed that I love working out (200+ youtube videos of different workouts may have tipped you off!) So maybe it will surprise you that there are days when it’s really difficult for me to get motivated to start my workout. 

This weekend I was completely and utterly exhausted. I felt like a slug, and kept falling asleep anytime I would lay down. I knew that if I worked out I would have more energy, but getting to that point felt impossible. 

Saturday I took the day off, thinking that I clearly needed some rest. I am a firm believer that you need to listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Too often there is a disconnect from the mind and the body. I believe this disconnect leads to illness, exhaustion, over/under eating, and a variety of other negative problems. 

Sunday I woke feeling tired again. Coffee didn’t perk me up, and again I was so tired that I was falling asleep during the day. My cell phone was on the edge of the bed, so I laid down to check my messages, and I fell asleep! 

I know that after I work out I am more energized, more positive, and happier. I kept telling myself that, but the exhaustion was overwhelming. So I used my blog to motivate me. I went upstairs, and got changed, ready to film a new workout. As soon as I got downstairs Jesse got a call from his brother, and he needed to head over there. I could have used that as an excuse. “Jesse can’t film me. I’m tired anyway. I might as well take another day off.” 

Instead I decided to get on the treadmill and run. When I started I made sure to mentally check in with myself to see how I was feeling. As I finally got moving I felt all of the energy that had been blocked up inside of me start to flow again. The sluggishness went away and I felt great. I ended up doing the Treadmill Workout that I shared here. I felt amazing, and my only regret was that I didn’t do my workout earlier so I could have had more energy to enjoy the rest of my day. 

Use whatever motivation you have to get started. Listen to your body. If you’re not feeling well, and working out makes you feel worse that day maybe it’s time to take a day off. Or check out one of my quick workouts: 8 Minute Cardio Fat Stripper, 8 Minute Ab Workout, 10 Minute Total Core Toner, 15 Minute HIIT or Cardio 15 Minute High Intensity. Or you can choose to do a yoga flow. 

Remember, sometimes you feel better after you workout, and it’s worth the effort of getting started. Do you have any tips or motivations that work for you? 

Melissa