MostFit® Health and Fitness Blog

What Do You Want? And How Do You Get It? By Colleen Flaherty

What Do You Want? And How Do You Get It?

By Colleen Flaherty of BirthingWarrior.com

Let’s break this quote down.

Limitations (mental/physical) are habits of perception (what you think is happening/the story you tell yourself/your beliefs), waiting to be busted (dissolved/broken down/forgotten/reformulated).

Keep this in mind for later. Because I’d like to start with what you want.

What do you want?

This applies to all areas of life. Let’s start with your physical goals.

What do you want your body to do for you?
What do you want it to look like?
How do you want to feel in your body?
Where will you go in your body?

Answer these 4 questions while TRULY ENVISIONING your answers.

Here are mine:

• I want my body to keep me healthy, strong, patient, and inspired.
• I want my body to be a lean, mean, ass-kicking machine.
• I want to feel like I could conquer the world 100 times over. Confident, sassy, and unique.

With this body, I will change lives, travel the globe, see inspiring sights and meet new empowering people.
While I wrote these things out, I smiled, laughed, saw myself working out, playing beach volleyball, soccer, rock climbing, and happy. My whole body is energized with the thought of WHAT IS COMING in the future.

Hear me. What you envision for yourself will happen if you let what you truly want dictate the choices you make.

I want my body to be healthy, strong, patient, and inspired. Because of those qualities, I will consciously AND sub-consciously say yes and no to things that are in line with them.
Ass-kicker? That means I’m moving my body in ways that I find enjoyable and fun.
World conquered means choosing events, people, things that make me feel confident, sassy, and one of kind.

Do you see what I’m getting at? When you set your sights on what you want, feeling how it feels to ALREADY BE THERE, your choices between now and then, will be in the flow to GET YOU THERE.

Now its your turn. Answer the 4 questions above. Write them down. Stick them next to the bathroom mirror. Tell your partner, your friends, your family what you’re envisioning for yourself (because they’ll help you get there! They’ll also hold you accountable!). Plus, once you put it out into the universe/god/goddesses, the doors will start opening for you to feel like your true, authentic, desired self.

Going back to the quote above. Whatever you tell yourself, is your reality. Your limitations of your body are backed by the stories you tell yourself about your body. “My body will never be skinny.” Nope, you’re right. With that story, it won’t. Not only are you telling your entire being, down to your cells, what it will be (not skinny), your choices of “never being skinny” will play out in day to day life. Maybe it’s over-eating. Maybe it’s making excuses. Maybe it’s indulgence. Your habits of perception are ruling your life. Want to change your body, change what you think about it and what you want it to become.

Dedicated to Your Happiness,

Colleen

see more from Colleen Flaherty and start training with her at BirthingWarrior.com

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for MostFit™ workout videos as well as a new Free Friday Fitness video each week.

Indoor Rock Climbing: A Fun, Healthy and Safe Form of Exercise

The key to developing any kind of consistency with exercise is to find a gym, routine, class or sport that you actually enjoy doing. Do you like competition? Join a local kickball league. Are you the type of person who makes friends easily? Try a group fitness class at a fitness studio nearby. Do you enjoy being outdoors? There’s always hiking.

Why Is Indoor Rock Climbing Is So Great!

Among the endless options for exercise is the relatively new and fast growing sport of indoor rock climbing. Although the image most of us picture when we hear ‘Rock Climbing” is one of being stuck on the edge of a cliff, in a dangerous situation, somewhere in the snow covered mountains. The fact is that indoor climbing gyms are much more like kid’s gymnastics centers than anything else. Read on to find out how indoor rock climbing can be a great way to exercise.

Low impact:
Rock climbing can be as easy or as challenging as you want it to be. There are a wide range of difficulties at most indoor rock gyms that can go from routes resembling a “staircase” to ones that seem to require 100 “one-arm pull-ups”. The good news is that climbing is usually a smooth, non-impactful workout. It’s easy to avoid common stresses on the back and knees that you might experience while weightlifting or doing martial arts. In the US, climbing routes are usually rated from 5.0 to 5.15. Start closer to the 5.0 and if you get hooked you’ll be able to work your way up in no time (no pun intended).

Camaraderie and sense of accomplishment:
Although there are many benefits to both team sports and individual sports, rock climbing is the best of both worlds. Climbing usually requires having a partner to belay you, which means to anchor you or lower you down from the other end of your safety rope. However, support and advice will usually come from other climbers nearby as they cheer you on. Even though climbing only involves you and your partner directly, rock gyms are a great place to develop new friendships and share common bonds with others.

Full Body Strength:
It may seem like climbing relies solely on the upper body but it is, in fact, a full body workout. Wearing special rock climbing shoes helps you to actually ‘hook’ or grab on to a climbing hold with your foot. Your back and core muscles do their job too by keep your body balanced. Let’s not forget about the workout your calves are getting when you’re standing on your tippy toes. Breath and focus are a big part of climbing as well, just like in yoga class. And if you ever feel like you’re ready to try outdoor climbing, the added benefits of being in nature take the Mind/Body experience to a whole new level.

Don’t be afraid to try something new in your fitness routine. The good news is that every sport has its benefits. When you find the one you like, enjoy it for what it is and be sure to recognize all of the positive aspects, like new friends, new challenges and new accomplishments.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more MostFit™ workout videos as well as a new Free Friday Fitness video each week.

Beat Your Own Fitness Record

Welcome to March. Have you met any of your wellness goals yet this year? Getting that extra hour of sleep you promised? Walking an extra mile every week? Have you been able to do more pull ups or push ups? The good news is there is always time to keep trying and your Family, friends and MostFit are always there to help. Here are some bench marks for fitness records to help motivate you. These records are real...and far fetched, so maybe you'll get a laugh too. Which burns calories by the way =}

Beat Your Own Fitness Record

Push Ups

According to Guinness the world record for most push ups is, not 200, not 1000, not even 10,000, but 10,507 by Minoru Yoshida in 1980. An incredible amount. I'd be happy with somewhere between 10 and 57. It is possible to train your body to do more and more push ups but I think it's safe to say that Mr. Yoshida might be a mutant. He was the last attempt before Guiness stopped accepting the category of 'most consecutive push ups' and instead instituted 'most push ups in 24 hours,' which is 46,001 by the way. Ten types of pushups with MostFit Suspension Strap.

Treadmill Running

153.76 Miles in 24 hours by  Christopher Berglund in  2004. That's right. The Guiness rules on treadmill running for 24 hours state that the athlete can rest as much as they like inside of their alotted time. But Mr Berglund ran an average of about 6 miles per hour for 24 hours straight. Good for him. Mutant!! Running is a great sport but not for all of us. Try hiking or walking up hill for a great workout. If you do like a good treadmill challenge check out PulseTread app for your smart phone.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is still an emerging sport despite having it's contemporary roots sprout as early as 1880. Records are being broken daily, it seems, and so are legs. Rock Climbing is dangerous. And that may be why there are so few record breakers in the rock climbing community. One of rock climbing's most famous climbing routes, The Nose in Yosemite Valley, California, met it's worst enemy in one of rock climbing's most famous climbers, Alex Honnold.  The Nose is a route popular for many things, one of which is speed climbing. Exactly what it sounds like, speed climbing challenges a team of usually 2 climbers to scale it's entire 2,900 feet as fast as possible. Well, 17 hours and 45 minutes seems real fast, and it was in 1975. But not as fast as Honnolds 2:23:51 in 2012 a feat that's sure to be challenged many times over. Maybe by you...

So how will you beat your record? Perhaps it is by taking one step at a time and taking that extra class this week or doing one more push up when you want to give up. Tracking devices, such as the FitBit are also a great tool for goal setting, such as, "I will walk 10,000 steps per day" or "I will sleep an extra 30 minutes per night."

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more MostFit™ workout videos as well as a new Free Friday Fitness video each week.

Fun & Healthy Fitness Activities For The Whole Family

The weather is turning, flowers are blooming, and...your kids are  

about to have a break from school. Must be Spring. Time to get outside  

and reacquaint yourself with some healthy outdoor activities. Take the  

opportunity to get fit and spend time with your family simultaneously.  

Check out the suggestions below for wellness activities for the whole  

family. After all, actions DO speak louder than words

Fun & Healthy Fitness Activities For Family

Hiking

Hiking doesn't always require mountains and wild animals. Even walking  

the Brooklyn Bridge has it's great views and health benefits. Check  

out http://www.everytrail.com for  

great area hikes. 

Go Fly a Kite

Fun? Yes. Exercise? According to the Scripps Research Institute, yes.  

Flying a kite requires scapular stability, core strength, and balance.  

And, depending on how much the wind is helping you, it can be a great  

cardio workout too. Just getting outdoors with the family can put a  

smile on your face, which has also proven to produce positive health  

benefits.

Focus on the Fitness

Making beds and mopping the floor is usually not that fun unless you're

doing it to get stronger and feel better. Use household chores as an excuse

to spend time together and workout. If you create a more meaningful purpose,  

like family time and health, then any normal task can take on a whole  

new meaning. Check out some more great family activities from Michelle  

Obama's "Let's Move" campaign.  

http://www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/Family_Activities.pdf

The good news is that just spending time with family and friends  

stimulates healthy hormones, releases stress, and lowers blood pressure among  

numerous other health benefits. Take advantage of the warmer  

temperatures and longer days by getting out and having fun with those  

who mean the most to you.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more MostFit™ workout videos as well as a new Free Friday Fitness video each week.

Gym-free Workouts, At Home Exercises & Outdoor Workouts

By Sara Jayne Crow

I loathe the gym. I know that they’re convenient places to work out, and I’ve been a member at several over the years, but I can’t help feeling like I’m a gerbil on a wheel while working out on the elliptical. And then there’s other people’s sweat, the water fountain hogs, the flirty sweaters,  the moaners, the teen doused in cologne, the aspiring actor guy with too much hair gel wearing sunglasses while he works out. Not to mention various body odor scents in the locker rooms.

Gym-free Workouts, At Home Exercises & Outdoor Workouts

I’m not trying to discredit gyms or advocate dumping your membership, as I think we all need as many options to work out as possible. But, I do love getting out into the open to do my workouts. Here are my top five gym-free workouts, in no particular order. Since I live in Los Angeles, I’ve mentioned a few spots where I do my workouts, mostly on the West side of the city.

1) Stairclimbing. Climbing stairs is a great workout, and definitely good for the tushy. I like the Santa Monica Steps on Adelaide Drive, here.

2) Hiking. I love trail running and hiking: great ways to get some fresh air while you also get exercise. My favorite respite from LA’s exhaust fumes is at Will Rogers State Historic Park near Pacific Palisades. The trails also connect to the massive Topanga Fire Road trail.

3) Paddlesurfing. I’ve only Stand Up Paddlesurfed twice; once in Kauai at the placid and cerulean-water Hanalei Bay (very recommended) and once in Santa Monica, surrounded by pods of dolphins for hours (also very recommended), but I’m going to start going regularly. Paddlesurfing is an excellent core workout and gives you ample opportunity to refine your sense of balance and stability.

4) MostFit Suspension Strap at the Park. I love taking the MostFit to a nearby park, slinging the suspension strap around a tree trunk and doing one of the various workouts they outline on their YouTube page.

5) Mountain Biking.Uphill mountain biking is ideal: feel the burn in the first part of the ascent, and then coast all the way down when you’re good and tired. My favorite location is actually in Altadena near the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the San Gabriel Mountains. More info here.

My name is Sara Jayne Crow, and I write blogs, articles and other stuff for people. Find out more at my website, Stray Poodle Media.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more MostFit™ workout videos as well as a new Free Friday Fitness video each week.

 

The Habit Cycle

Are there any new habits that you would like to develop? Maybe you have some bad habits that you would like to break? Good and bad habits are both made up of the same parts. Take a moment to analyze your habits using the following information and make some change for the better.

The Habit Cycle | Breaking Old Habits & Building New Habits

Cue:

Every habit has a cue. It can be a place, time of day, time of month, emotion, a success, a failure, being in the company of a specific person or simply waking up in the morning. For example, a smokers craving for cigarettes can be activated by anything as simple as getting into their car or eating breakfast. Take note of the common cues that set off your bad habits. By recognizing the cues that activate your bad habits you can then begin the process of changing the action that follows.

Action:

Developing a new habit can require setting up new potential cues like leaving your gym bag and shoes by your front door and planning to meet a friend at the park for a morning walk. However, using old cues, but replacing the old action, is also a great way to make positive change. If you wake up with a craving for cigarettes, maybe going outside for a :20 minute walk will give you that mental boost that you're really craving. Now, instead of waking up, smoking, and feeling relieved, you will wake up, exercise and feel relieved as well as have a new feeling of accomplishment and ultimately a healthy body and mind.

Reward:

The third part of the habit loop is the reward. That's the feeling of relief you get from smoking or jogging, the strength you gain from exercise or the feeling of comfort you feel from cheating on a healthy diet by eating cake or cookies. In the initial stage of building a new habit you can either create a new cue or use an existing cue to set off an action. In the beginning of habit change that action will probably have to be a very conscious, deliberate action. Your most important job however is to recognize the reward. If you made the effort to change that action to a positive one then cherish ALL of the rewards. Realizing success in every part of positive habit change will help to keep you on track. Before you know it, you'll crave that morning walk and expect that feeling of relief.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for MostFit™ workout videos as well as a new Free Friday Fitness video each week.