Healthy Food Chart

Health Foods and fitness go hand in hand. In that spirt, we bring you another terrific article from Cindy Lai Fitness

Spring clean your fitness routine and state of mind with 5 tips and a plateau busting workout

Ahh….the smell of spring is fast approaching and the warmth of the sun on your face is a feeling of sweet bliss to lift your spirits. Soon winter will be long gone as we prepare in anticipation of summer. Suddenly, you have finally decided to awaken from your deep slumber and the dark hole of never ending excuses, laziness and procrastination. Your head’s a bit dazed due to the hour lost through daylight savings, but don’t despair. Get ready for a positive change and a shock to your system by spring cleaning your health and fitness routine with Cindy Lai Fitness!

1. TAKE ACTION AND MAKE A PLAN:

You need a commitment to yourself and a solid plan to stay active at least three times a week. Choose an activity you like which is also close and convenient. If you can’t make it to class or the gym, go outdoors. Incorporate a good balance of strength training along with cardio, mobility and flexibility work.

2. THROW OUT THE EXCUSES:

Enough is enough! If I had a dollar for every time I heard an excuse, I’d be filthy rich! There is never enough time for everything in life! If taking care of your health and mental well being is important to you, you will make the time one way or another. You only have one life. Don’t you owe it yourself to live happier and healthier in the long run?

3. CHANGE UP YOUR ROUTINE:

What’s worked for you in the past will not work for you now. Back then you were leaner because your metabolism was faster and you could get away with just about anything. Our bodies are not what they used to be. As we get older, it gets harder but this does not mean we need to spend hours in the gym like we did in the past. The key is to build and maintain lean muscle mass to keep your metabolism in high gear. Of course eating wisely is also crucial in toning up and/or losing weight.

4. CLEAN UP YOUR EATING:

It’ll be harder to hide under those layers as the weather gets warmer out. If you want to feel good, then what you put into your body will dictate your mood and your energy levels. If you eat like crap, guess what? You’re going to feel the same. Being sluggish and lethargic most of the time will negatively impact your mood. Start eliminating processed foods, sugars, starches, and sodium and start incorporating whole foods, whole grains, more vegetables, fruits, lean protein and good fats. Hydrate consistently with at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.

5. STICK WITH THE PROGRAM:

Experiment to see what works best for you but stay consistent and stick with it. Those who are most successful with their fitness goals make the effort to stay disciplined and determined. You don’t need to be a gym rat, but you do need to get off your tush and move as much as possible!

If you haven’t participated in any activity for a while, the best thing is to ease into it to avoid injury. Don’t set yourself up for failure by overshooting what you cannot achieve. Be patient, start slow and steady. For the rest of you who have been staying consistent, it’s time to bring it up to a new level. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Get involved in more recreational activities and take in what the outdoors has to offer. Everything from biking, running, hiking, watersports, races, tennis, sports or whatever your heart desires will help you progress further in staying fit and healthy. Get out of the office during lunch. Take the stairs as much as possible. Walk as often as you can. Everything counts!

Here is a quick CLF Spring workout to help jumpstart your fitness or break out of any fitness plateau:

Jumping Jacks – 30 reps

Squats – 15 reps

Pushups – 10 pushups

Jumpin Jacks – 30 reps

Squats – 30 reps

Pushups – 15 pushups

Jumping Jacks – 30 reps

Squats – 15 reps

Pushups – 10 pushups

Jumping Jacks – 30 reps

Squats – 30 reps

Pushups – 15 pushups

If you are a beginner, you can scale down the volume or substitute plank holds for pushups. Do what you can handle and work your way up to the volume. For more advanced, you can scale up the volume.

Make sure squats are below parallel and for pushups, touch your chest to the floor. It’s very easy to cheat on both movements so work on proper form for maximum efficiency.

We are 7 days away from the official start of Spring. It’s time to take in that big breath of fresh air and leave the residue of winter behind. Don’t dwell over what you have not accomplished. It’s time to move on and to move forward. Open up your mind and focus on all the positive that you can accomplish. It’s time to tidy things up. There is always room for improvement.

Cindy Lai Fitness (http://www.cindylaifitness.com/). Cindy runs boot camps classes in NYC.