Bikram Yoga

I have been in search of a good yoga community in San Antonio and judging by the websites, the Bikram studio seems like my best choice. The only drawback of this is that I hate Bikram yoga. This week I signed up to do ten days of unlimited Bikram yoga. As I layed on my mat before the first class I closed my eyes and continually told myself to just be present with no expectations and keep an open mind. As much as I wanted to stay open minded during the class, all I could think about is how much I hated it and that I was never coming back. There are so many people that like it though that my curiosity kept brining me back. Four classes later my body has adapted to the 105 degree room but I still despise the teaching method, the environment and I think the poses suck.
Let me start with the teaching method and environment. Standing under flourescent lights in 105 degrees with sweat dripping off everyone and absorbing into the carpet releases a stench specific to Bikram yoga. Now give the teacher a microphone that they can yell their commands into while they tell you to push harder, go past your limits and that the poses SHOULD hurt. During my third class I felt a weakness in my lower back. Instead of going on to the next pose I decided to lay down and do happy baby pose to help release my lower back. The teacher decided to call me out in front of the entire class and tell me that I should either lay down in savasana or get up an do the pose. I was pretty infuriated as I know my body and the instructor does not, but according to these classes you are only allowed to do the 26 poses and no others.
As far as the poses go, I can tell they are chosen for their therapeutic benefits but some of them do not make sense to me. Part of the reason I don't like it is because I am very flexible and doing the same poses every class doesn't provide me with the challenge that I enjoy. The other reason is that there are a lot of poses that compress the spine. Now, in our daily lives we are constantly compressing the spine, rounding our shoulders and hunched over with our hips flexed. The majority of the poses seem to reinforce that instead of reversing it. Most people need to extend and decompress so I have difficulties seeing the benefits for the actual muscular development.
I think if you are going to take ninety minutes to invest in your body and mind that you should enjoy the process. If Bikram yoga was the first one you ever tried, please know that it is not the definition of yoga. Take the time to try different varieties of yoga and different teachers to find the best fit. It may seem frustrating when you have tried a lot of varieties and a lot of instructors, but when you find one you like it is amazing, transformational and well worth the wait!

Hiring a Trainer

Over the past week I have been closely observing personal trainers at a top-tier fitness club in San Antonio. I have not learned any new exercises or training methods but I have learned that you get what you pay for. The gym has five different levels of trainers ranging from about $50-$115 per session. Over the week I have seen trainers with poor exercise selections that are going to make their clients muscles imbalanced, I have seen cookie cutter trainers that are so new in the business that they give every client the same workout regardless of their goals and fitness level, and I have seen every single trainer do sets of three. These trainers have had an overall lack of creativity and knowledge. If you are going to spend your hard earned money on a personal trainer, make sure you ask them about their qualifications. Top questions to ask:
Do they have a national certification? When did they get it?
Do they have any specialty certifications?
What have they done for continuing education?
You want to train with someone that has been in the industry for a few years and has several certifications. As far as I have observed, a four year degree in the field makes no difference in the quality of the trainer. I have seen some pretty crappy trainers with a degree and some phenomanal trainers without one. I know money is always a deciding factor in buying personal training but you want a trainer that is knowledgable, going to put time into your plan and not injure you. It seems in life that you always get what you pay for but with personal training this is definitely the case.

Eight Weeks to Wellness

Earlier this year I published my second book "Planning for Wellness". It is a eight week daily planner that tracks your nutrition, exercise, measurements, mental and physical health and symptoms. It is a great tool if you can be anal enough to track everything consistently but many times people seem to fall off the wagon. Generally, people get really motivated about losing weight or eating healthier and then something happens and they get caught up and revert back to their old habits. Because of this trend and the fact that many people just cannot afford to have a personal trainer, I have created an eight week online training program to align with my book.

The book and online personal training is only $88 for eight weeks. It is extremely helpful in keeping people accountable and achieving their goals. While working with my clients over the past few years I have also found that people are generally confused and uneducated about fitness and nutrition. The other purpose of the program is to educate you so healthy choices and habits make sense and easily become part of your lifestyle.

I have broken up the program so it has a specific focus each week:
Week One: ABC's - Assess, Breathe, Cleanse
Week Two: Posture & Walking
Week Three: Fat Burning & Metabolism
Week Four: Exercise, Sleep & Energy
Week Five: Creating a Menu
Week Six: Super Foods & Healing
Week Seven: Fine Tuning
Week Eight: Your New Lifestyle

If this peaks your interest, feel free to visit the website for more information.

My Story

My life changed forever when I was merely six years old. My father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and given six months to live. Although he was only given half a year to live my father was determined to see me graduate from high school. To live another twelve years when you are only expected to live six months takes a true fighter. Several expiremental surgeries, a lifetime amount of radiation and his strong will and determination helped him survive another fifteen years! My father was truly exceptional. He has given me the hope and determination to fight against all odds and although he is no longer alive he influences my thoughts and actions daily.

I was always daddy's little girl. Even though he was sick for the majority of my life my memories of him are mostly of all the time we spent together when I was little. Once he got sick my time spent with him was in hospitals and nursing homes. It was very difficult to see him in places that he didn't belong. Once we could no longer take care of him at home he went into the psychiatric ward at the Veteran's Hospital and after that a series of nursing homes. There was no facility where he truly fit in as a man in his forties but we managed to make each facility a comfortable home for him. He continually stayed active by going on walks, swimming, playing miniature golf and gardening.

My father's passion when he was healthy was sports. He loved them all! Outside of his full time job he was a college basketball referee, a high school basketball coach, and a minor league baseball umpire. He also played golf several times a week. As a child he taught me how to swim, play basketball, and would take me to ballet and gymnastics several times a week. His passion became mine as I became a personal trainer, group exercise instructor and cancer exercise specialist. Working with cancer patients and survivors to help them get back into shape and improve their quality of life has been the most meaningful part of my career. Mark Twain said to make your vocation your vacation and I feel that I have truly done that. I love working with my clients, doing massage, teaching classes and helping people in every way I can.

At Home Workouts

I have been traveling a lot lately and it leaves me without a gym. I am usually unsure of my schedule so I try to squeeze my workouts in before anyone else is awake! I know most people have problems motivating themselves to work out at home or on the road so I thought I would give you a couple different workouts that you can do anywhere. All you need is a jump rope and a resistance band, and you can always replace the jump rope with something like jumping jacks or running in place with high knees.

Day One
150 Jumps with Jump Rope
20 Push Ups
20 Stationary Lunges on each leg
20 Bridges
20 Bicycle Crunches
20 Bicep Curls
20 Tricep Extensions
20 Upright Rows

Repeat three times!

Day Two
Happy Day Lunges - lunge to the front, side, then back - repeat 15 times on each leg

10 Jumping Jacks
10 Push Ups - Hands Wide
9 Jumping Jacks
9 Push Ups - Hands Narrow
8 Jumping Jacks
8 Push Ups - Hands Wide
7 Jumping Jacks
7 Push Ups - Hands Narrow
6 Jumping Jacks
6 Push Ups - Hands Wide
5 Jumping Jacks
5 Push Ups - Hands Narrow
4 Jumping Jacks
4 Push Ups - Hands Wide
3 Jumping Jacks
3 Push Ups - Hands Narrow
2 Jumping Jacks
2 Push Ups - Hands Wide
1 Jumping Jack
1 Push Up - Hands Narrow

Happy Day Lunges - 15
Side Plank Dips (side plank with hips lowering to the ground and lifting back up)
Leg Raises (lying on back lower legs to floor and lift back up to 90 degrees)

Strong Abs, Healthy Back!

The stronger your lower abs are, the less lower back pain you will have. This is an exercise I see done wrong on a daily basis so hopefully I can help change that. In a gym setting this is usually called "leg raises", in a Pilates setting these are called "toe taps". Regardless of what you call it, it is the same exercise but those in the Pilates world usually have a better understanding of how to perform it correctly.

1. Lay down on your back with your arms by your side. Do not stick your hands under your butt or lower back.
2. Push your lower back down into the mat so there is no arch. Often it can help to bring your knees into your chest so the lower back lifts up and then push it down vertabra by vertabra.
3. Modified position: Bend your knees - keep them at a 90 degree angle throughout the exercise. Advanced position: Straighten your legs so your toes point up to the ceiling.
4. Inhale and pull your belly button down towards your spine, tightening the core.
5. Exhale and lower your legs/feet towards the mat.
6. Inhale to tighten the core.
7. Exhale and lift the legs back up to the starting position.

Make an effort to keep your lower back pushed down into the mat. If your lower back starts to arch and lift up, you are bringing your legs down too low. Only work within your own personal range of motion. Eventually you will be able to get them all the way down! When your lower back begins to lift that means you are straining the lower back and barely working the abs. Do it the right way!

If the exercise seems to difficult or you know you have weak lower abs, do one leg at a time. You can just do the right leg 10 times and then the left 10 times or you could alternate each leg. Find what you are comftorable with.

L-Glutamine

When it comes to supplements, I generally believe that if you are eating a healthy diet full of fruits and veggies than you will not need additional vitamins and supplements. The rare exception I have is for L-glutamine. L-glutamine is an essential amino acid that the body cannot create itself and it is stored in the muscles. When the body is placed under stress (like during exercise), L-glutamine stores are depleted. You can get this in your diet from plant and animal proteins such as beef, pork and poultry, milk, yogurt, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, raw spinach, raw parsley, and cabbage, but when you are placed under really high amounts of stress (including exercise) you may want to add this supplement to your routine.

On a normal day I probably exercise for four to five hours between bicycling from place to place, teaching classes and doing my own personal workouts. Some days I wake up and feel like every muscle in my body is exhausted, when I take L-glutamine I do not experience this. Athletes and non-athletes should consider taking this supplement as it does have a variety of benefits in addition to lessening recovery time.

These benefits include:
Prevents muscle breakdown
Helps produce new muscles through protein synthesis
Enhances immune system function
Improves mental sharpness
Expedites wound and burn healing. L-glutamine is very helpful post-surgery and for cancer and burn patients.
Boosts the body's production of growth hormones by over 400%
Promotes a healthy intestinal tract - has the ability to repair "leaky gut syndrome" without surgery and has a 92% cure rate for ulcers when used for four weeks.

Dosage is generally 5-10 grams and it comes in the form of chewables, capsules, and quick dissolving powders. Find the form that fits best in your routine and begin to feel the difference! Talk to a nutritionist or doctor for the best information specific to your needs.

Schedule It

I am going to make it brief today. When something is important to you, make sure you schedule it in. It doesn't matter if that means it is a workout, time to relax, or time with a loved one, just write it down in your calender and stick to the time and date. Life gets busy and chaotic so making time to do what is important to you helps keep your life in balance. This will help prevent you from getting wrapped up in the day to day and start enjoying it!

Fruit Salad with a Twist!

Tossing fruit in a lemon infused syrup gives it a light sweet taste and prevents the fruit from turning brown when it is sliced and stirred. Feel free to pick your own favorite variety of fruit rather than what I have listed. This recipe makes 8 servings, so modify if you need to!

1/3 cup of sugar OR 1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves or lemon verbena leaves
2tbs. lemon or lime juice
2 cups seedless grapes, halved
2 peaches or nectarines, sliced
1 cup sliced strawberries or whole raspberries
1 cup blueberries

Bring sugar or agave nectar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil in saucepan. Let simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and mint leaves. Steep for 15 minutes and then strain out the mint leaves.

Combine fruit in a large bowl. Stir in sugar syrup, cover and chill for two hours or overnight.

Calories 91
Fat 1
Carbohydrates 23
Fiber 2
Protein 1

DO NOT SQUAT!

Last year I started working for Helena Collins at her studio in Boston called Life in Synergy. Amazing studio with amazing owners! If you are ever in Boston, you should definitely drop by and if not visit www.lifeinsynergy.com since she also offers an excellent online training program.

Anyways, I learned a great deal from Helena and it all started during my first audition. For the first time in my fitness career I was told not to have clients do squats and if they absolutely must be done, they should only be done with feet hip width apart like chair pose in yoga. This instruction shocked me - I taught squats in just about every single class I instructed! As Helena educated me I began to understand the importance of eliminating this exercise from my repertoire, my classes, and my clients workouts. Hopefully, I can make you understand this too!

Structurally, doing squats will overdevelop the outer sweep of the thigh (vastus lateralis) causing an imbalance to the knees, and will also tighten your hip flexors putting additional strain on your spine. In order to keep it brief, I am going to focus on the tight hip flexors and lower back pain as the main reason NOT to do squats.

The problem with our society today is that we spend most of our time sitting down. Whether it is in a car, an airplane, on a bike, at meals, at our computer, or even in fetal position while we sleep - our hip flexors are in a contracted, shortened position. When in this position for an extended period of time, our hip flexors want to stay this length, making it harder for them to return to their correct length. Since the hip flexors attach to the lumbar vertabrae, when they keep getting shorter and tighter, they pull on the lower back. Now, think back to the squats. If we spend the majority of our time in this shortened position - should we take the hour or less we actually spend moving around and working out repetitively reinforcing this position?

Say goodbye to lower back pain by replacing the time you would waste doing squats to stretch your hip flexors instead! Try the kneeling hip flexor stretch in the image above - make sure you tilt your hips forward and for an added stretch reach your arms overhead...

Intuition or Logic?

Recently, I have encountered a decision I need to make and I have been battling between following my heart or following my head. Every day I have been mulling my options over and over again. Instead of really thinking about the decision I have been distracted by thinking about whether you should follow your intuition or your logic - not just in this situation, but in every situation. I have come to the conclusion that you should follow your heart.

Now for me to say this feels almost contradictory because I am one to always make logical decisions and I try not to let my emotions ever come into play. But there is a difference between following your heart and acting rashly based on an emotion. Hopefully, most decisions in life don't require you to make a choice but here is my thought process in case you ever encounter a situation where you have to choose.

The heart is your soul, it is who you are. It is your morals, values, personality, your gut instinct - if you do something out of alignment then you will have a little nagging feeling, that subconcious thought, that feeling that something is off. It may not affect you immediately or you may be unaware of it until the situation is reversed but it plays a role in how you feel on a day-to-day basis. I think a good example would be someone who sticks with a job they hate because they need to support their family, then, somehow, a turn of events causes them to lose their job and instead of being stressed, they feel relieved. They feel as if a burden has been lifted off their shoulders instead of placed on them. Their heart was telling them to quit, but their brain was telling them to persevere through for the sake of their family.

When your brain presents all the logical reasons why you need to do something, it is difficult to do the opposite - but you will feel better if you just follow your heart. The brain is a complex and powerful tool. No matter what happens, your brain will always find a way to make things work. It's logical, it is there to help you solve your problems. I know I am just scratching the surface of this topic but I guess the moral of the story is to follow your heart and your head will make it all work out!

Summer Smoothie

A nice light smoothie recipe! It is low-calorie so it is best used as a quick snack. It's a nice way to recharge after the summer sun and will hold you over until you have the energy to fix your next meal..

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cubed cantaloupe
1 tsp. honey
1/2 cup ice cubes

Place juice, fruit and honey in the blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds.
Add ice and blend until smooth.

Calories 84
Fat 0
Carbs 20
Protein 2

What Opens Your Eyes?

I have really been thinking about what profound mind/body tip that I could give you today. I think the best thing I could really say to you is to just sit for a moment and think about what works best for you. What helps you take a step back and gets you out of your head to see the bigger picture? Leave a comment and share it with the rest of us!! Here are my favorites:

1. Get up high. I like to get up high and look down on the world below. No matter where I live I always seem to find a special spot for this. In Boston I had two favorites - the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge and the Zen Garden on the rooftop at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Yawkey Building. In Miami I have found a few different nice high bridges. In Maine and Alaska, I could always hike up to some place. When I am so high above the city and can look and see all the people that make up my little piece of the world it makes me realize just how small I am. It helps give me the reality check I need.

2. Beach time. No matter what, when I go to the beach all my problems seem to disolve. My mom used to tell me that the waves take your troubles away. In the Bahamas I was told that the beach is therapeutic to all people because it is where all of the earth's elements are at their greatest. The sky, the water, the sun, the sand - everything is huge. It's a time to just enjoy the moment and forget about the rest.

3. Work it out. Exercise is extremely therapeutic to me. When I am stressed, upset, trying to figure things out - I like to work out. I love riding my bike because it is a moving meditation. Sitting down to meditate is difficult when you have a lot on your mind. When you get on the bike, the repetitive motion helps calm the mind. Some people call it the "runner's high". Dr. Herbert Benson wrote a great book about how to get the Runner's High without all that running - it's called the Breakout Principle.

Now it's your turn! Share your tips by leaving a comment.

The Plank

Don't be fooled by this exercise! Even though you are not moving at all, it can be one of the hardest exercises and can increase your heart rate quickly. The plank will help strengthen the stabilizer muscles in the lower back and abdominals. The goal is to hold it for two minutes, so give it a shot and see what you've got!

Get in push up position and drop down to your forearms.

Push back through your heels so that the feet are flexed.

Make sure the elbows are straight below the shoulders.
Tilt the hips under so your butt is not in the air.
Pull the belly button up to your spine.
HOLD!

Time for a Challenge!

Challenge yourself this week. Whether it is trying a new exercise in the gym, a new class, or a new method of exercise all together - challenge yourself to do something out of the ordinary.


Some simple ideas:
Running - sprint from one telephone pole to the next, then recover with a light jog until you can do it again.
Biking - go find a big hill or bridge, the view from the top will be even better when you work so hard to get there!


You will gain self-confidence from accomplishing your challenge, and release more endorphins giving you a great boost and a huge smile!

Wild Rice with Cranberry & Walnuts

This is one of my all time favorite side dishes and it goes well with almost any main course! It is full of antioxidants and vitamins, so not only does it taste good but it is good for you. Beware that this recipe makes 12 servings - so adjust accordingly or make it all and seperate servings into tupperware for leftovers!

1/2 onion quartered
1 carrot peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery quartered
1 cup wild rice (2 - 4 oz. packages)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 large finely chopped shallot
3 ounces dried cranberries (1/2 of a 6 oz. package)
3 granny smith apples, unpeeled and cut into small dice
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
4 stalks thinly sliced scallions
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash the rice in a strainer under running water until water is clear.
2. Place the rice, onion, carrot and celery in a pot. Season with salt and pepper and cover with water.
3. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender and fully fluffed, about 45 to 60 minutes.
4. Drain the rice and remove the onion, carrot and celery pieces.
5. Combine the rice in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serving Size: about 1/2 cup
Calories 150
Fat 4g
Carbohydrate 26g
Fiber 2g
Protein 3g

Abdominal Breathing

The quickest way to realize the strength you have to connect your mind and body is to reconnect with your breath. Abdominal breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is the quickest way to calm down and destress. Plus, it is free and can be done anywhere!

If you ever watch a baby breathe you will notice their entire belly rises and falls with each breath. If you watch an adult breathe you will generally notice the chest rising and falling. Our diaphragm was made to help us breathe, so why as adults do we stop using it? Instead we start using our neck, shoulders and chest - causing even more tension in our upper bodies! Breathing this way is not the most efficient way to get oxygen circulating to our brain and muscles. It's time to retrain your body!

Try this:
1. Place one hand on your abdomen right below the rib cage.
2. Inhale slowly through your nose to the base of your lungs, your chest should barely move and your belly should expand and rise, pushing your hand up.
3. When you have fully inhaled, pause for a moment and then exhale very slowly through your mouth. Imagine you are blowing on a hot spoonful of soup. As you exhale, release your mind and body - let everything relax and go limp. It should take twice as long to exhale as it does to inhale. Try it again and keep count of the inhale and try to double the exhale.
4. In order to fully relax, take and release ten abdominal breaths. Try to connect the breath so you cannot differentiate where the inhale ends and the exhale begins.

With so many benefits, it's time to make a conscious effort to start changing the way you breathe. In addition to stress relief, abdominal breathing helps activate the lymphatic system which releases toxins and improves immunity. This deep slow breathing will help you feel calmer but energized at the same time, and it will also help strengthen your abdominal muscles!

Stabilize Your Core

The core is where all movement begins. A well developed core allows for optimum performance, decreased incidence of injuries, and is a cure for lower back pain! The simplest exercise to begin training your core is the drawing-in maneuver. This exercise helps strengthen the transverse abdominus - think of it as your internal girdle. By strengthening and tightening your internal girdle it helps give you the appearance of a flatter stomach and it will also prevent you from losing bladder control as you age! This exercise can be done anywhere - walking down the street, sitting in your car or at your desk, and should be done while performing all exercises. Learn it and use it as often as possible!

Drawing In Maneuver
To put it simply, all you need to do is pull your belly button in towards your spine. If that doesn't quite make sense to you, I will give you two different ways to try it!
1. Lay down on your stomach. Try to pull your bully button up towards your spine. If you are thin, this should lift your belly right up off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds while continuing to breathe. This should not be confused with sucking in - if you suck in with your lungs, it may pull your belly in but you will not be able to breathe and you will be using your diaphragm not your transverse abdominus.
2. Lay down on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place a small object on your belly button - a paperback book, CD - anything handy! Pull the belly button towards your spine - try to make the object sink as low as you can.

Once you have the hang of it, try doing it the next time you go for a walk. Do it again while you type your next e-mail. Next, when you drive home from work. Again, and again, and again! It will eventually become second nature and you will find yourself sitting up taller, looking thinner, and have less back pain!

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment or e-mail me directly at hilery@fitnessforwellness.org

How to be Happy!

Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with life constructively and lovingly. A lot of people have a hard time understanding how I can be so high on life and it has inspired me to write this. Hopefully by reading this you will learn some new tips and tricks to be happier and enjoy life to its fullest.

Lifestyle
Eat right and exercise! I am vegetarian and although I didn't feel the difference in my energy and health immediately, as I look back to think about when my happiness and energy increased, I definitely have to take it into consideration. A benefit of being vegetarian is the large amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat are easily broken down in the body and quickly turned into energy. Through yoga I learned the principle of ahimsa (do no harm) can also contribute to the reason you feel better from a vegetarian diet. The fact that my body no longer has to process animal meat full of hormones, adrenaline and fear helps my body feel better! I have a ton of energy from having a healthy diet and from the endorphins that are released through exercise. When you have energy it is much easier to enjoy life that when you feel tired, run down, or exhausted.

Beliefs
Life is absolutely what you make of it and you are the creator of your reality. Last winter when I lived in Boston, I found it amusing that people would complain about the snow. One reason I thought it was funny is because they had chosen to live in a snowy climate so they already knew what they were getting themselves into. The other reason is because you decide whether you like or hate something so if you know you live where it snows, why not choose to like it? I'm a warm weather girl born in Florida but since I made an active choice to live in Boston, I decided to love the snow this year. I appreciated the beauty, the feeling of snowflakes falling on my tongue, and the quiet and serene blanket that it would lay over the city noise. Since you choose love or hate, excitment or dread - why not choose a life of love, happiness and excitement rather than hate, disappointment and dread?

Decisions
Your place in society is the result of choices and decisions that you have made in your life up to this point. People tend to blame bad luck, poor timing, their parents or other people but in the long run YOU make your decisions and YOU have to live with the results. Once you accept the fact that you are responsible for the results of your life you will be able to rise above the life you currently live. Your life is not like a weather forecast that you watch and have to accept, you can take active steps to change it and make it what you really want. In my life I have dealt with many trials and tribulations - throughout my childhood I watched my dad die of brain cancer, I have had to deal with my own health and pain problems, and most recently I was kidnapped, assaulted and robbed. Instead of using traumatic experiences as an excuse for things, I use them as a reminder of how short life can be. Every moment we have is a blessing and we have to take advantage of every single second that we get. Some people get wrapped up in the day to day, some dwell in the past, some purely focus on their fututre - but very few live in the present and that to me is the key to being happy. Enjoy today!

My Top Six Tips for Happiness
1. Change your vocabulary. Instead of saying "I have to.." say "I get to.."
2. Think the opposite. Instead of dreading something find ways to look forward to it. When you are feeling annoyed by a situation, look for ways to learn from it.
3. Gratitiude. Every single day I try to think of five new things to be grateful for. I like to do it in the morning to start my day off, but research shows that when done before bed you will sleep better.
4. Positive surroundings. Ask people positive questions and it will surround you with positivity. "What was the best part of your day yesterday?" Requires a little more thought and a better response that "How was your day?" and you are almost guaranteed a happy answer.
5. Assess your happiness. Figure out what aspects of your life you are unhappy with and the changes you need to make - what can you change right now?
6. Knowledge. Make a list of things that make you happy, smile and laugh. When you are having a rough day just pull out the list and start smiling. I always have songs on my ipod that put a smile on my face!

Special Buddy!

The best way to develop a new fitness routine is to find a buddy to do it with. By making exercise more social it brings a more enjoyable aspect to things and can help to develop a stronger friendship that gives you support in numerous different ways. It is important to find a workout buddy that is compatible though - if you are just getting into riding your bike around the neighborhood you probably don't want to buddy up with Lance Armstrong! Find someone with similar goals and interests that will inspire you to stay on track. A nice long walk is a perfect summer time activity you can share with family and friends. Also, try some new things together - even if you are super tight and have never tried yoga in your life, find a nearby class - having a friend to laugh with makes the adventure a little less intimidating!

If you can't find any friends or family to team up with try using www.exercisefriends.com

Peach Almond Smoothie!

This is one of my favorite protein shakes. The almond milk and almond extract make it a sweet treat. I usually use vanilla protein powder but you can give it a different twist by using strawberrry protein powder. Try it out - totally delicious!

Just Peachy & Almond Smoothie
Calories 294
1 cup reduced-fat almond milk
1 cup frozen sliced peaches
2 scoops protein powder
1/2 banana
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 ice cubes
In a blender, combine all ingredients on high until smooth and creamy.

Weekly Schedule

My Goal is to provide you with a well rounded source of information:
Mondays: Exercise of the Week
Tuesdays: Mind & Body
Wednesdays: Recipe of the Week
Thursdays: Fitness Tip
Fridays: Inspiration

Introduction

I figure it's best to start with a brief introduction. My name is Hilery Hutchinson and I am a Wellness Expert located in Miami Beach, Florida. My goal is to help people learn fundamentals of wellness to live a more energetic and fulfilling life. I am hoping by starting this blog I will be able to reach out and help even more people.