Mom's Healthy Fitness

Benefits of Cross Training Your Workouts

We’re all a bunch of creatures of habit. Time and time again we fall in love with a routine we like, whether that be in our personal or professional lives – and in workouts – and we refuse to change. It’s easy because it’s what we know and what we feel comfortable with. And it works.

Well, at least we THINK it works.

When it comes to having an efficient and killer workout that’s going to benefit you from a total body perspective, more people are realizing that the same, tired old routines don’t cut it anymore. In fact, being a creature of habit often has a detrimental impact simply because we aren’t benefiting our body with a one-dimensional approach. Instead, an increasing amount of workout enthusiasts are switching to cross training.

Cross training is a way to alternate workout routines to increase performance and overall fitness. For example, avid runners who do nothing but pound the pavement several times a week will not see as much benefit from those workouts as they would adding in core strengthening exercises and weight training.

A momma like me who likes to sweat off the pounds at home with the same old high intensity workout videos might want to consider shocking the body by doing something different.

When you switch to cross training your workouts, there are endless possibilities to your workouts. Here are a few:

*Swimming                         *Cycling

*Running                             *Biking

*Aerobic dance                   *Yoga

*Stair climbing                   *Weight training

*Pilates                                 *Resistance training

 

Think of your body like a car. To keep a car working at an optimal level, you can’t just fill it up with motor oil every 3,000 miles and expect it to last you another 15 years. Quite the contrary. Instead, you need to be checking the fuel filter, the tire pressure and even the engine.

The same goes for your body. To be in peak physical condition, you can’t just go out for a 10-mile run every two or three days. You’ll eventually break down. You must pay attention to all the muscles in your body, not just the ones used in a specific activity.

A perfect example was a girlfriend of mine who wanted to compete in one of those crazy obstacle course mud runs. She knew it was a long race, so she focused strictly on her cardio and nothing else. Big mistake. Those races require you to jump, dive, dip, climb, and dodge all sorts of obstacles. She wasn’t prepared. Her body wasn’t prepared. And as a result, she ended up suffering through the race instead of enjoying it.

If you aren’t yet convinced on the power of cross training your workouts, here are 5 key benefits:

Fewer injuries – Cross training your workouts helps improve flexibility and eliminate most injuries that pop up simply due to overuse. A runner can become an elite runner if he/she pays attention to all the muscles in their body, incorporating everything from weight training to core strength conditioning.

Leaner body, burn more calories – It kind of goes without saying that by tricking your body with a different set of workouts (tire flips, box jumps, moving from the treadmill to the Stairmaster) will force it to work in different ways and thus, burn more calories. You should notice a considerable difference in the mirror.

Greater training volume – Simply put, you can do more over a longer timeframe and not get winded or worn out. Period. As they say – bigger, faster, stronger.

You won’t get stuck in a rut – To me, there’s nothing more boring than the same tired workout day after day and week after week. From a “looking forward to something” perspective, I just don’t see how anyone can stay motivated with their training by doing the same thing all the time. Switch it up.

Adapt to change – I put this as the last benefit on purpose. I started this blog by talking about many of us being creatures of habit. That can be with our workouts, but we also need to break a mental sweat, too. By switching things up in your workout, you learn to adapt and possibly carry it over to your professional and personal life. It can help set a new standard, and help you better handle this crazy thing we call life.

As always, I’m here to help you live a healthy and fit lifestyle. If you need any help with cross training, or any other topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me through this website, email or on social media. It’s what I am here for. It’s what I enjoy. Also, checkout our latest fitness & nutrition products today!

The post Benefits of Cross Training Your Workouts appeared first on Karma Nelson Fitness .

Source: Healthy Life

Power of the Mind – You are what you think and believe

I was thinking at breakfast today about the power of mind, and how some of us – regardless of how smart we are or how many college degrees we have – haven’t completely learned to harness that power. We may not be in control of every situation in life, but we are always in control of how we think.

How we think directly impacts who we are and what we will become.

I know I’m probably going too deep here, but stay with me because I think this is good to talk about. We are what we think and believe. If we’re constantly telling ourselves out loud, “Oh, I’m fat,” subconsciously we will see that as our self image no matter how much weight we lose. From there, it becomes easier for us to doubt how good we are at our jobs and we will make excuses for why we weren’t able to get our workout in on a particular day. Simply by thinking negatively, it creates an equally-negative domino effect.

It’s funny because when it’s a situation we think we can control, like creating a healthy lifestyle or preparing for a big promotion, we put a plan in place and we step up emotionally, mentally, and physically to the challenge. If it’s something we don’t think we have control over, the tendency is to falter under the pressure. We don’t know what to do, we panic, and we lose all sight of logic.

Simply put … stuff happens. But we each have a mind of our own, and we can imagine life happening however we want it to happen.

There’s a lot of helpful information online, from self-help books to inspirational quotes, blogs, articles, and fun quips like, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” All of it is meant to help find perspective.

But the first step, in my humble opinion, is to incorporate faith. I’m often reminded of this passage:

Looking for the Good:

Gold’s plan will not lead you where God’s plan cannot keep you. Of course, life has its bumps and bruises. There are good times and difficult times and the challenge is to find your God moment in both types of experience. When do you praise and worship God? When it seems that life is going well and He is answering your prayers and you have relatively few problems? Sure, it is easy to praise then. But, when the bumps come along and you seem to be directed into u-turns, how do you adapt? When God is in control, there is no reason to expect the worst of a changing situation. In fact, you can look for the surprises of His new plan and see what He has new for you. Sort of like “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” When you find yourself in the problems of life (the mud puddle) look for the blessing He will give (fish in your pockets)! You can avoid having ulcers by adapting to the situation: If you fall in the mud puddle, check your pockets for fish.

I talk often about faith in God, and my husband Brett and I have made it the foundation for everything we do as a family. Once you have faith, you will find it easier to deal with any difficult situation or decision – and see the blessings in them – even if you can’t completely control the outcome.

From there, other steps you can take include:

1. Take a step back – Before you jump to an irrational thought or give up on the world, take a step back, breathe, and think about the bigger picture. Is this something you should be worrying about now? How big is this issue in the long run? Oftentimes, the answer presents itself naturally.
2. Ask for support – If you find yourself alone in a difficult situation, ask for help. Oftentimes, someone who is not facing that decision or situation can offer a different perspective, or even tell you exactly what you need to do after having once gone through the same thing themselves.
3. Look back on what you have accomplished – Sometimes it’s easy to throw your hands up and quit. Instead, look back at all your accomplishments in life and think about how you have overcame similar struggles. What did you do then that can be incorporated now? Own the situation, regardless of the unknown of what might happen next.

 

As always, I am here to help with your Health, Fitness & Wellness goals!  Checkout our latest fitness & nutrition products today!

The post Power of the Mind appeared first on Karma Nelson Fitness .

Source: Healthy Life

We all need a stable job so that we can provide for our families, but sometimes it feels like we are spending all our time at work. You know the drill: a major big wig is coming in from out of town and lately you’ve been spending all your time tweaking that big proposal you’ve been working on. And even when you cross that bridge, another project will take its place.

The truth is that whether you are salaried, a shift worker, or self employed, the average person works about 47 hours per week. You’re probably eating fast food in your car or at your desk, and the workouts you used to do religiously are now few and far between.

It’s a wonder how you find the energy to crawl into your own bed at night!

Well I’m here to tell you there are ways to squeeze in mini – yet effective – workouts when stuck at work. Some require you to think outside the box, but they are possible and range from yoga workouts like core breathing and shoulder circles to stretching, chair squats and even burpees.

When you’re stuck in a cubicle working all day, I’m sure you’re willing to try anything, right?!?!

Here are 5 workouts you can do at work!

1. Wall Squats – Wall squats are great because you can get them done practically anywhere, leaving you no excuses. Think about it, you’ve got your cubicle, office, hallway walls, even while leaning against the door in the bathroom! Yes, I just wrote that. But it’s so true. Even if you are dressed up in a pant suit or a dress, you can still discretely bend your knees and slide down the wall until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Hold that for 30-60 seconds.

2. Lunges – If you have an office with a door you can close for privacy, do a few rounds of lunges from your desk to the office door. If you don’t have a door, there’s a hallway somewhere. I have a nurse friend who does lunges with her team every time they have to go down a particular hallway at the hospital. Make it a habit of doing lunges to and from the water fountain.

3. Take the stairs – Duh! If you work in an office with stairs, maybe those that lead to the HR department or accounting – use them! Why take the elevator when you have a perfectly functional workout area available to you? Odds are, you will be able to take the stairs in peace since everyone else will be using the elevator. You’ll reap the rewards, trust me!

4. Tricep dips on your chair – You’re sitting in your chair all day. Why not use it as a workout tool. Sit on your chair, place your hands on the chair for support and walk your feet out in front until you are in a position with your thighs parallel to the floor and with your knees bent. Bend your arms at the elbow and lower your body down. You can do these all day to increase intensity.

5. Chair abs – Yes, chair abs! Simply place your hands behind your head and lift one knee toward your chest as you crunch, trying to touch opposite arm to opposite knee. This move will strengthen your core.

There are plenty of other options on top of these 5 workouts you can do at work to make the most of your day. For example, if you are used to eating at your desk while working at the same time, use your legitimate lunch break – you know, the one required by law that your company provides – to sneak into a local gym for 30 minutes. You can get a lot done in that time.

Just think outside the box, and you’ll be surprised what you can accomplish.

As always, I am here to help with your Health, Fitness & Wellness goals!  Checkout our latest fitness & nutrition products today!

The post 5 Workouts You Can Do At Work appeared first on Karma Nelson Fitness .

Source: Healthy Life

5 Tips on Preventing Cyberbullying

When I was growing up, there was a bully in every schoolyard. They would purposely slap the lunch tray from your hands in the cafeteria and sit just close enough to you in class to quietly shoot spitballs down the back of your shirt. Some bullies would threaten to beat you up after the 3 o’clock bell – every day.

Gossip was rampant, and YOU were always the punchline. It was physical, verbal and emotional torture.

These forms of what I like to call “traditional” bullying are still present today, but they pale in comparison to a much more frightening and dangerous form of bullying that has been bred out of our society’s love for the Internet – Cyberbullying.

Unlike schoolyard bullying, you can’t see your cyberbully. Today, the Internet and easy access to it through mobile devices allows the sharing of information at unprecedented rates. They allow us to record our lives, share information to the world, and make comments on the information shared by others. Information that used to be closely held is now public and available to be used by anyone who finds it.

The problem is that there are people out there who will use that information and the ability to remain incognito as a way to bully someone. Instead of simply threatening a supposed “inferior”
classmate only in the schoolyard, the bully will send threats and sexual comments via texts and emails – long after the school day is done – just to embarrass someone.

Our children are tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed and targeted. And the sad part is that it can easily go undetected because of the lack of parental supervision.

Some of these may be a bit old, but here are a few sobering cyberbullying statistics I found across the Internet. I pulled them from various reliable sources.

1. Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
2. 1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of
   themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras.
3. Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyberbullying.
4. Cyberbullying can affect anyone.
5. Over 50% of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.

The technological culture parents face is overwhelming and causes many to ignore the threat of cyberbullying. But our children need to know the dangers, and how to handle them when situations arise.

Here are 5 tips on preventing cyberbullying:

1.Know Which Sites/Applications Your Child Uses (and Might Use)

Every parent needs to be up-to-date on the latest applications and social media trends. Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram have largely replaced Facebook among younger users. Keep track of what is trending in social media and consistently look at the applications that your child is using. Monitor the sites they visit and make sure you are following them and their friends.

2.Educate your children

There are parents who refuse to broach explicit topics simply because they don’t want their children exposed to it at all. That’s a huge mistake. You need to make sure your kids understand what cyberbullying is and why it’s dangerous. Go through scenarios with them to see how they respond. Ask them who they would go to for help, and make sure they understand that they can talk to you – their parent – about absolutely anything.

3.Get All Logins and Passwords

In our home, internet use is a privilege not a right. You should require your child to provide you with his or her logins and passwords to each and every site, social media account, and/or device. If this demand sparks a tantrum, then your child is not ready for his or her own device or instant access to the Internet! If your child does not want to provide you with this information you should ask yourself what they are hiding.

4.Take every threat or concern seriously

Kids concoct trivial issues in their daily lives, so the typical “who is crushing on who” and “who stole who’s boyfriend” may be things you can’t concern yourself with as much. But don’t completely dismiss what your child is telling you until you get the FULL story. Ask questions, press them, offer advice and keep an eye out for it. By not taking their words serious, your child will one day stop sharing information with you.

5.Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Listen, we’re not all going to be tech savvy. I get it. So don’t be afraid to ask other friends and family for help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a principal at the school or local law enforcement. Sometimes it takes a village to protect our children, and you need to be open to that possibility.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. The biggest “bonus” tip I can give you is to set a good example for your children. What do you convey on the Internet with your own social media usage? Do your postings convey an accurate picture of who you are? Do your postings lift others up or tear them down? These questions must be considered by all of us, and we must lead by example.

The post 5 Tips on Preventing Cyberbullying appeared first on Karma Nelson Fitness .

Source: Healthy Life

The Best Time to Weigh Yourself – Here’s a funny story for you guys: A friend of mine recently took her husband out on a big splurge dinner for his birthday to Cheesecake Factory. Later that night, she noticed one of the first things he did when they got home was go weigh himself.  So it made me think, when is the best time to weigh yourself?

It seemed a bit odd that he’d choose such an odd time to step on the scale, but she didn’t say anything. That is until a week later when they went out with some friends for lunch and he did it again. She asked him and his answer was, “I dunno. When is the best time to weigh myself?”

Quick answer – never after you eat, that’s for sure.

When you are following a weight-loss plan, the scale can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Weighing yourself consistently can give you a sense of accomplishment and hold you accountable with your health and fitness goals. If you weighed five pounds less than what you did the previous time, then heck, that’s a huge confidence builder and proves what you are doing is working.

But the scale can also be a tricky device that, when not used properly, can give you false numbers. According to WebMD, it’s natural for your weight to fluctuate a few pounds day to day or week to week.

Normal weight fluctuations may be due to:

1. Eating starchy or salty foods
2. The weather
3. Water retention due to hormonal changes (PMS )

Needless to say, weighing yourself after a meal, or even daily, is not ideal. The trick is to pick a specific day and time and stick to that. More specifically, I say the best time to weigh yourself is once per week and to do it first thing in the morning. That’s when the scale is giving you the most accurate reading. Every trainer, nutrition specialists, health and fitness coach is different, but I have my clients check in with me on Friday morning.

I do that because we meal prep over the weekend so it’s easier to stay on track throughout the week. Not to mention, it allows you to have your splurge meal over the weekend without worrying about it or feel guilty. I used to hate when my trainer had me weigh in on Mondays because I couldn’t enjoy the weekend with friends and family. And if I did, I’d be at my worst weight coming off the weekend.

It wasn’t that I was falling off track, it was that the weigh in strategy was off the mark. So allow for that free meal and enjoy the weekend, but then get back on track starting Sunday.

Whatever you decide, just be smart about it and don’t behold yourself to what the scale says. The important thing is to do something every day that gets you closer to your goal.

That’s when you will see the true fruits of your labor – and it may just be on the scale.

 

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Source: Healthy Life

Working out During Pregnancy – Every so often, I get a few first-time expectant mothers asking me if they can workout when they are pregnant. The short answer is YES. Even still, most of them tend to look at me like I’m crazy.  In my opinion, Working out During Pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for not only yourself, but for an overall healthy pregnancy too.  (of course, always consult with your Dr)

Here’s the deal, ladies. Pregnancy is not an ailment! It’s a gift from God and something we have been doing since the dawn of time. Is pregnancy easy? Not always. But unless you are bed ridden or have strict guidelines to follow from your doctor, a pregnancy is not something that will incapacitate you.

Being Consistent

If anything, working out consistently before, during and after a pregnancy makes the entire process easier on you. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that healthy pregnant women should do moderate exercise for 20 to 30 minutes every day. Following this routine will not only keep you and the baby fit, but will eliminate issues like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

I have two stories to share, and I bet you have seen similar ones.  No joke, when my sister found out she was pregnant, she immediately proppped her feet up, ate Cheetos with ranch and later gained almost 80 pounds with her pregnancy.  After seeing that, I vowed to NOT ever let that happen to me!  Almost five years later when I was blessed with my first pregnancy, I continued my regular healthy ealting and exercising.  As my belly grew bigger I learned to make modification and of course, check my heart rate.  Opposite to my sister, I gained just 25 pounds and bounced back to pre-pregnancy weight in no time.

Working out during a pregnancy can also help with:

1. Boosting your mood
2. Making labor and delivery easier
3. Helping you recover faster
4. Improve posture and lessen back aches
5. Limit stress and heart rate issues
6. Lessening fatigue
7. Making the baby healthier

I’m not a doctor, and will never pretend to be one. But I can say all of this and write this blog because I’ve had three healthy babies of my own. I was always into health and fitness, and when I got pregnant with our first child, Lucy, I continued to workout until I delivered her. I remember doing kickboxing classes until it was physically impossible for me to jump. I continued to do weight training until the bar wouldn’t pass over my big ol’ belly when doing bicep curls.

Trust me, I can’t make this stuff up. It’s true. Basically, I reached a point where I did have some limitations in my workout. But that didn’t mean I had to stop completely. It simply meant I had to change things up. By the end of my pregnancy, I felt like I was healthy and had a smooth delivery because of it.

Working out during pregnancy helped my baby weight came off faster.

Whatever you decide, just know that you and your baby are completely safe. I urge you to consult with your doctor before starting any strenuous or moderate exercise, but once you do that, reach out to me and I’d be happy to steer you down the right path with a workout plan that meets your individual needs.

The bottom line is be smart, and be active. Don’t let that baby bump get in the way of leading a healthy life.

Thanks for reading!

The post Working out During Pregnancy appeared first on Karma Nelson Fitness .

Source: Healthy Life

Childhood Obesity – September may have been Childhood Obesity Month, but for any parent out there, this is a global epidemic that is gaining traction and should constantly be on your radar. I know it’s on mine, and here is why.

According to the Center for Disease and Prevention, obesity has more than doubled in children ages 17 and younger over the past 30 years – meaning that one in every five children in the country is considered obese. Whether it be in adults or children, obesity poses a huge risk for cardiovascular diseases and is also linked to diabetes. It can also lead to health risks such as asthma, sleep apnea, joint problems, and liver disease.

Not to mention social discrimination, self-esteem issues, and problems in school.

To further drive the point home, I pulled a few sobering facts from FoodFacts.com.

• In 2013, the American Medical Association voted to classify obesity as a disease.
• Childhood obesity may reduce life expectancy by at least five years. This means that children that are obese may have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
• Children that have obesity are more likely to have obesity as adults, which may lead to lifelong physical, emotional and mental health problems.
• Up to 70% of obese children already have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Over 50% of overweight and obese children have breathing problems and can develop asthma.
• Childhood obesity may increase the afflicter’s risk for many types of cancer, multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

One of the biggest factors that caught my eye with childhood obesity is how devastating it can be on a child’s performance in school. Not many people think about the social stigmas and self-esteem issues that can come into play, which directly affect a child’s ability to be an active member of various youth groups and have friends. It can also impact their willingness to take on school tasks, leading to poor grades.

So what can we do as parents?

We can start by living our own lives as healthy as we possibly can, which if you have visited my website enough times, you know I am a huge proponent of. Think about it – if we are eating unhealthy, not working out and gaining weight, odds are that our children will do the same. That sets a horrible example, and those bad habits will carry over to their adult life.

Parents must set the example by observing good sleeping habits, proper nutrition and regular eating times. Instead of ordering pizza every night because it’s quick and easy, go to the grocery store and focus on buying fresh foods. Make their breakfast every morning and a wholesome sack lunch for school. Let them help you cook dinner, and stress the importance of what certain foods will do to help them be healthy.

Resources for Parents

Check out my previous blogs for great tips on that if you are having problems. That’s what I’m here for.

And for goodness sake, get your kids moving. Limit the time they spend watching television or playing video games. I’m not suggesting go have them do 50 Squat Thrusts before bed every night, or to keep on them like a drill sergeant. But keeping them active is definitely the key… and it may require YOU to be the leader to get the family healthy!

And don’t overthink it. A child’s daily exercise can be as simple as getting them involved in sports or setting a timer when they are asked to do chores around the house. If you are the type of person who likes to do yard work, get the kids to pull weeds or let them help your husband push the lawnmower.  My personal favorite is to put in a workout DVD and do it together as a family!

See how fun it can be to have a family fitness challenge

Bottom line, I urge you to think about childhood obesity long after this month is over. Living a healthy and fit lifestyle should be the goal of every adult – and every family.

 

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Source: Healthy Life

3 Tips to Look for Good in Bad Situations – I was thinking at breakfast today about how interesting it is that most of us adults – regardless of how smart we are or how many college degrees we have – haven’t learned to deal with things in life we can’t control. It’s often hard to look for good in bad situations, but today I want to share 3 tips that might help

It’s funny because when it’s a situation we can control, like creating a healthy lifestyle or preparing for a big promotion, we put a plan in place and we step up emotionally, mentally, and physically to the challenge. If it’s something we can’t control, we don’t know what to do, we panic, and we lose all sight of logic.

Truth be told, life is a fickle princess, and she throws difficult decisions and situations – controllable or not – at us every day. Most of the time, we can’t see them coming, we can’t do anything about them, and we ask what we did so wrong to deserve such punishment?

Simply put … stuff happens.

There’s a lot of helpful information online, from self-help books to inspirational quotes, blogs, articles, and fun quips like, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” All of it is meant to help find a positive perspective.

But the first step, in 3 Tips to Look for Good in Bad Situations, in my humble opinion, in learning to look for the good in bad situations is to incorporate faith.

I’m often reminded of this passage:

 

Looking for the Good

Gold’s plan will not lead you where God’s plan cannot keep you. Of course, life has its bumps and bruises. There are good times and difficult times and the challenge is to find your God moment in both types of experience. When do you praise and worship God? When it seems that life is going well and He is answering your prayers and you have relatively few problems? Sure, it is easy to praise then. But, when the bumps come along and you seem to be directed into u-turns, how do you adapt? When God is in control, there is no reason to expect the worst of a changing situation. In fact, you can look for the surprises of His new plan and see what He has new for you. Sort of like “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” When you find yourself in the problems of life (the mud puddle) look for the blessing He will give (fish in your pockets)! You can avoid having ulcers by adapting to the situation: If you fall in the mud puddle, check your pockets for fish.

I talk often about faith in God, and my husband and I have made it the foundation for everything we do as a family. We have had good days, bad days and everything in-between. We have had emotional let downs, financial set backs, health scares, family crisis and marital struggles. Once you have faith, you will find it easier to deal with any difficult situation or decision – and see the blessings in them – even if you can’t completely control the outcome.

3 Tips to Look for Good in Bad Situations include:

1. Take a step back – Before you jump to an irrational thought or give up on the world, take a step back, breath, and think about the bigger picture. Is this something you should be worrying about now? How big is this issue in the long run? Oftentimes, the answer presents itself naturally.
2. Ask for support – If you find yourself alone in a difficult situation, ask for help. Oftentimes, someone who is not facing that decision or situation can offer a different perspective, or even tell you exactly what you need to do after having once gone through the same thing themselves.
3. Reflect on what you have accomplished – Sometimes it’s easy to throw your hands up and quit. Instead, look back at all your accomplishments in life and think about how you have overcame similar struggles. What did you do then that can be incorporated now? Own the situation, regardless of the unknown of what might happen next.

The hardest one of these for me was asking for help. However, it helped the most letting the people in your life who care, help. As simple as cooking a meal for us, all the way to lending money to help pay the bills. Boy we have had a lot of hard times over the past 16 years together… the good news is, we’ve survived… and so will you!

What are some things you have done to work through this maze we call life? Share them in the comments.

Thanks for reading 3 Tips to Look for Good in Bad Situations!

The post 3 Tips to Look for Good in Bad Situations appeared first on Karma Nelson Fitness .

Source: Healthy Life

3 Ways to Feel Beautiful – If you are a mom, if you work or stay home with the kids, if you carpool, cook dinner and organize your life, it’s a safe bet you don’t exactly feel beautiful all day, everyday. Maybe you ate a little more than you should have this weekend, causing your skin to breakout and your tummy to feel all grumbly and bloated. Or maybe you’ve been so busy at work or with the kiddos that you haven’t had time to workout.  Maybe, if you are like me, you are lucky to get a shower and brush your teeth for the day!

I know the feeling! You wake up saying, “I’m bloated, tired, my hair is a mess – I look like a hot mess!”

I’m here to tell you it’s all going to be OK, and you are more beautiful than you are giving yourself credit for. This isn’t a fashion blog, it’s a beauty blog. I could give you all the tips in the world on fashion, but if you don’t feel beautiful inside, then none of it is going to help you longterm.

Feeling beautiful not only comes with making good choices in your life, but it also comes from within. That’s where I want to start. Do these three things over the next three days and I promise you will feel more beautiful.

Insist on your “me” time – 3 Ways to Feel Beautiful

No, not me. YOU! Us women get pulled in 50 million directions at once, but we can’t feel beautiful about ourselves if we don’t stop for a second and have some “me” time. “Me” time is time during the day – morning, afternoon or evening – when you get a chance to stop and focus on yourself. Maybe it’s a relaxing bubble bath, getting a workout in, or a chance to drink a smoothie on the porch while reading a magazine. Maybe you just sit in the quietest room in your house and meditate.

For me, if I can have 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time with Jesus before my day begins, it centers me to have a super awesome day… and I feel way more beautiful!  I chose that time because it’s right before I have to worry about getting the kids to where they need to be, and before any stresses of the day can try to take over. When I’m done, I am in a better frame of mind instead of feeling like I’m constantly going from the second the alarm clock goes off. I can ease into the day, and I’m feeling pretty darn good about myself – and dare I say, beautiful?

Bottom line, take the next three days and try something new that allows you to take time for yourself. I promise you will feel beautiful from the inside out!

Smile, smile, smile – 3 Ways to Feel Beautiful

It’s like they say, it takes more muscles in the face to frown than to smile. Smiling is really easy and utterly beautiful, and more people should try it. Not only will those around you appreciate it more (don’t you want to spread happiness to others?), but it makes you happy even when you’re not. Smiling leads to laughter, and it makes everyone else around you see you as the beautiful person you really are.

I don’t know about you, but that’s beauty right there. So your assignment is to take the next three days and smile more than you ever have before. And when you don’t think you can smile any more, smile again! Smile at your neighbors, at the strangers in the grocery store, at parents in the stands at kids events and anyone you can… challenge yourself to smile and heck, let’s get crazy and “say hi” to a few of them as well!

Here’s a great blog I found on … you guessed it, smiling. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=1529. Trust me, it’s worth the read.

Eat healthy – 3 Ways to Feel Beautiful

Well, duh! I’m a clean-eating freak. It’s the topic of the majority of my blogs, and even when it’s not the primary topic, I find a way to mix it in somewhere. Eating healthy keeps you fit, trim, it improves your skin, hair, nails, teeth, smile, self confidence and overall self worth.

That bloated feeling you have right now from Pizza is going sit with you for the rest of the day, and if that’s going to make you feel less beautiful, then why put yourself through it?

Over the next three days, I want you to read up on all the delicious healthy options you have for clean eating that are right here on my website, and put bits and pieces of them into practice each day. Trust me when I say they are not only tasty, but affordable and easy – especially when you are on the go.

Check out my FREE 5 Day Clean Eating challenge & get a 5 day meal plan: http://tinyurl.com/Operation5Days

I hope these simple tips, 3 ways to feel beautiful help you to truly know that you ARE beautiful!

What are some things you do to feel beautiful? I’d love to hear them. We all would!

Thanks for reading 3 Ways to Feel Beautiful.

 

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Source: Healthy Life