Get your heart pumping with this at-home “work-in”

For many people, exercising with some heart rate elevating moves is more stress-reducing than a smooth breathing or yoga session. One of our fitness partners, Planet Fitness, brings you what they are calling a “work-in” exercise session. Today’s featured “work-in” will get your heart pumping with some cardio movements that require no equipment, just some floor space and comfortable attire. Low impact options are offered so this is fitting for any fitness level and can be completed in less than 30 minutes. 

United We Move! 

Monday Motivation

It can be hard to stay motivated & maintain a positive attitude when you’re in a funk; today, that changes.  ​

When you look for the good in others, you will appreciate them more & overlook their shortcomings.  When you give a compliment, you make the world a better place- better for th​​e other person & better for you!  Think about it; you can actually improve YOUR mood & YOUR situation simply by uplifting others.  Today, your challenge is to make someone’s day a little brighter.  Help others in order to help yourself.

Action:  Give a minimum of FIVE people MEANINGFUL compliments today.  This can be as simple as complimenting their new shirt to as involved as congratulating them on a stellar performance during your team meeting.  Guarantee you will bring a smile to their face (even if you’re working virtually right now & can’t see it!) & you will feel amazing as result.

An activity for the whole family

​Being stuck in the house and practicing social distancing, some might  start to feel a little stir crazy. However, the weather is getting consistently nicer and we should all take advantage of it!

Here is a fun idea to get your whole family involved, use sidewalk chalk to draw on your driveway or on the sidewalk. Try some pretty flowers, a rainbow, a butterfly or share some words of encouragement. Not only spending quality time with your family is great, but you are sharing even more with those in your neighborhood.

I’m sure you have noticed your more than normal amount of neighbors out walking. Take this opportunity to share some artwork and words of encouragement. Maybe you have everything under control, but maybe for some, they could use a mood boost. By seeing someone else’s art work, or a kids drawing, it might remind them of grandchildren they can’t see or maybe just what they needed to enjoy the day.

New to meditation? Try it outdoors

There are many benefits of meditation in nature—it’s a place where wisdom and perception come alive. Meditating outdoors activates our senses, making our practice more alert and wakeful. At the same time, the usual distractions seem far away and somehow less important. Many meditators find it easier to let go of their worries and their electronic devices when they’ve got such a satisfying alternative: mindfully communing with nature.

Can’t make it to the wilderness to meditate just now? How about your balcony, back yard, or the nearest public park? You’ll have to factor in the sounds of civilization, but in some ways this can reinforce your training in impartial awareness. Awareness is awareness, whether the focus is the sound of a nightingale’s aria or gridlocked traffic.

How to Meditate

Meditation is simpler (and harder) than most people think. Read these steps, make sure you’re somewhere where you can relax into this process, set a timer, and give it a shot:

1) Take a seat

Find a place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you.

2) Set a time limit

If you’re just beginning, it can help to choose a short time, such as five or 10 minutes.

3) Notice your body

You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor, you can sit loosely cross-legged, you can kneel—all are fine. Just make sure you are stable and in a position you can stay in for a while.

4) Feel your breath

Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out.

5) Notice when your mind has wandered

Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered—in a few seconds, a minute, five minutes—simply return your attention to the breath.

6) Be kind to your wandering mind

Don’t judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.

7) Close with kindness 

When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.

That’s it! That’s the practice. You go away, you come back, and you try to do it as kindly as possible.

Sources: Mindful.org & Mindworks.org

Food tips for these times of high stress

When it comes to food while hunkering down at home, a little prep can go a long way. Here are a few tips to help stay nourished and healthy.

Stick to planned meal and snack times
If you are at home throughout the day, you may have noticed the constant access to your pantry. Just because you have access to food all day doesn’t mean the kitchen is open all day. Write down your preferred meal/snack times and stick to them.

Spend this extra time cooking
Bringing more ingredients home instead of prepackaged, processed foods means you’ll be cooking more. Bring out the crockpot, or get some more use out of the Instant Pot gift. Use extra time at home for cooking.

Use cooking as daily activity for kids
What a great time to include kids — they need something to do. Include kids in the rituals of eating — setting the table, etc. Add in an extra baking session of homemade cookies. This is a much healthier alternative to store-bought cookies with unhealthy ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.

Cook in bulk
In the planning process, you may want to think about cooking in bulk, so that one cooking session leaves you with meals for several days. This can be very important if you are still going into your workplace and need to take meals with you. Think chili, soups, lasagnas, enchiladas, etc.

Think simple
It doesn’t need to be fancy. Pack a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread and piece of fruit if going to work.

Buy things you will eventually eat
We won’t be social distancing forever. When shopping, be mindful of staples that will last beyond this time. Think about whole-wheat dried noodles; jarred marinara sauce; canned tuna; no-sugar-added cereals like Cheerios; canned or frozen fruits and vegetables; and frozen meats and seafood.

Be prepared to make your own coffee and tea at home
Don’t forget honey, creamer, etc., for your at-home beverages.

Refrigerate your grains
Refrigerate breads, tortillas, buns, etc., to help them last.

Have sick-day items
Be sure to have the things you need if anyone gets sick — crackers, soups, sports drinks, pain relievers, etc.

Avoid snacks you can’t resist
This is not an excuse to eat large amounts of processed foods throughout the day. Avoid bringing snacks with low nutritional value into the house. Grab healthier snacks like microwave popcorn or baking items for an afternoon activity.

Carryout and delivery
Remember that carryout and delivery is still available, so plan ahead, think healthy and remember those whose jobs depend on you.

Limiting screen time can be good for everyone

With being quartined in our houses, there might an increase of screen time for everyone. It’s okay to watch TV or play video games, but there might need to be a daily time limit set in place. Here is where setting a daily routine is beneficial to everyone.

Have a list of activites that the family can do together or your kids can do on their own.

  • family game night
    • take turns picking out the game
  • 500-1,000 piece puzzle
  • play charades
  • walk the dog
  • explore a nearby park
  • take a family bike ride
  • turn on some music and dance
  • do chores that require some physical activity
    • Vacuuming
    • Putting toys away
    • Have them make their bed everyday
    • fold and put laundry away
    • load and unload dishwasher
    • wash and vacuum the car

Having a family calendar for the week with set times for TV and video games can keep everyone accountable. Try it out for a week and see how it goes. Maybe the following week needs some adjusting, add more activities that the family enjoyed doing together.

Scource: American Heart Association

Feel Good Friday!

The news has been fairly heavy lately & feel good stories seem to be few & far between.  Not today!  Click the image below to watch a quick video of a father/daughter duo making the most of their time together & having a ton of fun in the process.   🙂

Refresh with a yoga sesh

Whether you are missing your regular yoga sessions at the gym or you have never tried yoga, you are invited to join Stephanie Fish from Norton Sports Health for a video session of yoga. This workout is appropriate for any level of yoga experience and options are offered to modify movements to increase or decrease difficulty. Maybe take a towel or mat outside with your mobile device to enjoy some fresh air or move the coffee table over and set up in front of the television. Make it your time to refresh and get the blood flowing. Namaste.

Fun, easy recipe for kids!

Looking for a fun, easy recipe to try with kids? Check out this easy to make pizza dough. Click the picture of the pizza below to watch the video!

Two-ingredient pizza dough — makes one 10-inch pizza

– 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

– 1½ cups self-rising flour, plus more for kneading

Mix ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread flour on counter top and transfer. Knead dough.

Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and spread dough out with hands until about 10 inches round.

Top with olive oil and your favorite toppings. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.

Topping ideas
Margherita pizza: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, plum tomato slices, basil and black pepper

Balsamic, ricotta and red onion pizza: ¼ cup tomato sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ricotta cheese, red onion, salt and black pepper

Garden pesto pizza: pesto, shredded Italian cheese, zucchini and fire-roasted tomatoes

Having gratitude can be good for your health

Having posititve thoughts and a positive attitude throughout the day can boost our morale. If we focus too much on the negative or find something negative in everything we do, it only will bring us down. With Covid-19 being all we hear or talk about right now, lets focus more on us as we seem to have a little more time.

Take a few minutes each day to practice gratitude from the HEART, recommended by the American Heart Association.

1. Health: What did your body do for you today?

Did you know you take about eight million breaths a year? Your feet can take you up a mountain, your arms can hold someone you love. Take a minute to marvel at the finely tuned machinery of your body.

2. Eat: What did you feed your body to nourish yourself today?

Was it an old favorite, something you made, or something new and different? Did you eat fruits or vegetables? We comsume a lot of meals each year, each sitting is a new opportunity to fuel or bodies. Take a minute to reflect on what nourishment you comsumed.

3. Activity: What did you do that you really enjoyed today?

Did you get outside for a walk? Or try a home workout? Take a minute to think back on one particularly awesome moment.

4. Relationship: Who do you look forward to seeing?

Is it someone who sets your heart on fire, always has a smile for you, has your back, or makes you laugh until you cry? Take a minute to smile as you think about this special person.

5. Time: What are you doing right now?

Every single day you wake up with 24 brand new hours. The past is history, the future is a mystery, and today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present! Take a minute to be thankful for the gift of time.

Scource: American Heart Association