Tag: gym

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Fitness

Fit Bit Review

Calling all work out enthusiasts!! This post is for you! Today, I am reviewing my Fit Bit, I got it for Christmas about 6 months ago and have been loving it, so I thought I would take some time to tell you what I love about my Fit Bit and how I use it.

***Please note, this post is not sponsored by Fit Bit and all opinions are my own.Ā  šŸ˜Š ***

I am always on the go and try to be active for as much as possible. For years, I had always used the Health app on my iPhone in order to track my exercise, but I didnā€™t like how I always had to have my phone on me to track my steps, calories, and movement. For example, when I would go on runs, I didnā€™t like having to hold a phone just to track my steps and miles.

A look at the Health app from my phone.

I got the Fit Bit Ulta HR for Christmas and have been very pleased with it. The fit bit tells me the day and time and tracks my steps, miles walked, heart rate, calories burned and active minutes. It is a bit pricey but it is worth it, especially if you love to be active.

Loving my fit bit!!

I personally aim for 10,000 steps, 30 active minutes, 5 miles and burning 2,000 calories a day. Some days I EXCEED my goals, other days I only meet SOME of my goals, and most days I JUST MEET my goals, it depends on my agenda. The Fit Bit has an app that works on your phone where it tracks all these features along with your food and water intake as well as steps per hour and exercise. I use the app every day and find it very helpful. I also love that I can take a run without my phone and still have all my steps logged and synced with my phone. The Fit Bit also tracks your sleep when you wear it at night. The battery is long lasting, I can go a few days without charging it but I try to charge it every night.

I use this app all the time, one of my most used phone apps.

I got my Fit Bit at Target where they have many other styles and series of Fit Bits, but the things I was most focused on were features on the Ulta HR. I like how it is small and slender and not too bulky.

I wear my Fit Bit with every outfit.

If you are a workout enthusiast, always on the go, or love to be active, I would definitely recommend getting a Fit Bit either this style or another one that better suits your needs. If you are not a fitness Guru, I would strongly suggest using the Health app on your phone, I used it for almost four years and got a lot of use out of it until I decided to upgrade it to a Fit Bit with their free app.

If you are on the fence about getting a Fit Bit or just sticking to the Health or workout app, I hope this provides you with some guidance. I have been very pleased with my Fit Bit, if you have a Fit Bit or fitness watch (i.e. Apple Watch) and love it, let me know why.

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Categories
Fabulous living

A Day in the Life (2/28/18)

Hello All!

I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start. I’m on Spring break this week, so I’m taking full advantage of resting, relaxing and being home.

Last semester I shared a look into my life as a college student, with a new semester and schedule, I’m sharing an updated look at a day in the life. Last Wednesday, I documented my day and here’s a sneak peak into a “typical day”

I start my day at 6:15, bright and early.
I head to the gym around 6:50. This was the sky as I walked to the gym. It’s always so quiet and peaceful in the early morning.
This is my playlist at the gym. This best of the 80’s playlist has been on repeat for early mornings at the gym. Thank you Amazon Music.
After I got back from the gym I ate some trail mix and milk for breakfast.
After I ate, I did some journaling and did a daily Lenten reflection. I always try to set aside some time every day for prayer and reflection.
I did some work and reviewing for a few midterms I had this week before class.
I am currently binge watching Parks and Rec in my free time,so While I was getting ready< i got a quick episode in.
Outfit for this Spring-ish weather.
Heading to class at 10:00, nothing but blue skies this last day of February.
My first class was Digital Media, a video production and editing class.
At 11:30, I headed to Music Appreciation, where I had a midterm.
I grabbed a quick lunch with my friend Shay, and I forgot to snap a picture. After lunch, I headed back to my dorm to get some work done before my afternoon classes.
Taking notes and working ahead for a few classes in between classes.
I headed to Advertising Strategies at 3:00 for class, we worked on updating resumes in class.
After class ended at 4:15, I headed to the library to get some reading and notes done before dinner.
Dinner with my bestie, Shay! It was mac and cheese night which is a favorite. Fun Fact: we saw each other in the gym at 7 am, in class, at lunch, and dinner. This is why she is my unofficial roommate.
After dinner, It was homework time. Editing papers, reading, and preparing for class tomorrow.
After showering and getting ready for tomorrow. I chose to unwind by watching Seal Team at the end of the day.
Heading to bed, or so I thought…turns out 30 minutes later, the fire alarm went off since someone burnt something. After spending 30 minutes outside it was time to head back in and back to bed. So much for a typical day!

And there you have it, that’s a day in the life. No day is ever normal as you can tell by the things that can thrown at me throughout the day. I hope you enjoyed a peak into the day in the life of a college student. See you on Thursday!

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Fitness

Pound Rockout Workout Class

With a new semester comes a new fitness routine. I am still going to the gym three mornings a week before class and on the weekends. Ā But, I like to try new things which helps break up my routine. My college campus always has new fitness classes and activities. They offer Zumba, Kickboxing, Yoga Ā and this year they introduced Pound Rockout Workout. Itā€™s a fast-paced class filled with a full body cardio workout and drumming.

Get yourself a friend who will take a selfie with you after a full day of classes AND an intense workout.

I was hesitant at first to try it, but my best friend and fitness motivator Shalyn convinced me to go and boy am I glad she did. Ā Fun fact; we randomly match most of the time we are at the gym and it’s totally not planned. This is one of those times. It was pretty surprising we can workout that afternoon and be back in the gym at 7:00 the next morning.

It was a 30-minute work out that got me sweating. Ā The class was at 5:00 which I really liked. I had tried Zumba before but it was from 9-10 at night and I didnā€™t like working out so late. I like to start my day with a workout not end my day with one. The music was fast paced and got me rocking. Each week we stick (no pun intended) Ā to the same routine and songs but every few months she changes up some of the moves or songs. The class focused on a core workout, lunges, squats and got us moving. We used drum sticks to hit the air or floor. After a long day or classes and work, it was a great and healthy way to release the stress and tension I had in me. Ā It was definitely a workout and I felt the effects the next day (or two).

Whether you have a Pound Rockout Workout Class near you or not, it’s always good to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. Try a yoga class or spin class. You never know if you will like something until you try it. My goal this school year is to say yes to more things (another blog post for later) and this class is just one example of that. I said yes to something new and I was so glad I did. Thank you Shay for taking me to class and sweating it out with me. It wonā€™t be my last time there.

Categories
Fitness

My Fitness Journey {Part 3}

Heading to the gym, bright and early!

Today, concludes my three part fitness journey.

Hereā€™s part one. Hereā€™s part two. Just in case you missed them. I am going to wrap up my fitness journey and share how I get motivated to go to the gym and ways to stay healthy when you canā€™t make it to the gym.

For my gym-loving friends, no worries, there will still be more fitness posts in the future. You can never stop being healthy.

How I get motivated:

  • Go to the gym with a friend (or by yourself)
    • Itā€™s great to go with someone to talk to, or be there for moral support. At the same time itā€™s great to take some time by yourself and go solo. I enjoy both, sometimes I like to go by myself and focus on me but at the same time itā€™s good to go with someone to push you.
  • Ā Buy some fun work out gear.
    • If you havenā€™t been to the gym in a while or are hesitant to go, buy some fun looks to sport at the gym. I am not an ā€œUnder Armour girlā€ or ā€œa just Nike galā€. I wear anything. I have gotten some of my favorite pairs of work out pants from Target and Dickā€™s Sporting Goods on sale. Get something that makes you happy.

      It’s always fun to match at the gym.
  • Lastly, be positive about it.
    • You wont see changes overnight but be proud of yourself for getting out there and doing it. Whether you went to the gym for an hour, found a Yoga DVD to watch and work on, or even went for a walk around the neighborhood. Thatā€™s something. You stepped out of your comfort zone and you should be proud of that. Remember to celebrate the little victories in life!

Ways to Stay Healthy:

  • Drink lots of WATER
    • It may sound crazy and I am sure you have heard it before but drink a lot of water. Some benefits that come along with drinking water includes: it increases your energy, flushes out toxins, gives you clearer skin, and itā€™s healthier than any other sugary drinks we put into our body every day. I go through a few bottles of water every day, easily. It also doesnā€™t hurt to have some fun cups or tumblers to put your water in. I got this bottle from Marshalls for under $10. I always bring it with me when I go to the gym.

      Some fun motivation to get me through my workouts
  • Look for healthier options
    • I will have a post later in the year about my favorite healthy snacks and meals but until then, reach for something healthier. Instead of grabbing the doughnut and coffee on the way to work, have some dry cereal and water (maybe even a small coffee if you need it to get through the day!) If you are really craving that chocolate cake, eat it at 4:00 instead at 10:00 so you can burn it off in the evening before bed. We all can indulge ( I love chocolate so I donā€™t plan on giving that up anytime soon) but, it’s all about eating in moderation. Stay tuned for a longer post on healthy eating, but hopefully this will hold you over until then šŸ™‚

That wraps up my journey to where I am today for my fitness. This is not the end, but only the beginning letā€™s get healthy together!

 

 

Categories
Fitness

My Fitness Journey {part 2}

Today I am sharing my fitness routine. When I was at school, I would come back from the gym I always get asked what I did my gym routine was. So, I decided to take one day at the gym and document my routine. Now, I donā€™t do the same thing every time I go, I like to switch it up and keep it fresh. I am also going to share what I have been doing at home to keep me in shape when I canā€™t make it to the gym.

I like to start out with cardio for 25-30 minutes to wake me up, burn calories fast and to get me going. I will either bike, hit the elliptical, or jog on the treadmill. Now, Iā€™m not a big runner, to be more accurateā€¦ I HATE running. So, when I go on the treadmill I put it at a slow speed and at a high incline.Ā  I am still burning calories but I am not dying at the end.

After some cardio, I like to work on the weight machines. I like to change it up depending if I want to focus more on arms or legs each day. I always do the leg press, and the ab crunch machine every day. Depending on how I am feeling I change the reps for every machine but I generally do 3 sets of 20 on an average work out.

I wrap up my gym session with some free weights. I like to get in some squats, lunges, curls, and hammer curls and lastly some calf raisesā€¦trust me they work. I then end with some stretches and call it a day.

My gym routine takes around an hour, if I want to go for more of less time I typically change the duration of my cardio.

It always feels good after you hit the gym hard!

Now, when I am at home things are a bit different. I donā€™t always have the time to go to the gym 5 days a week so, I have been either working out at home or not worrying about it since I have been on the go constantly. I found a lot of easy and great ways to work out on Pinterest surprisingly. I have found so many effortless ways to work out at home that I will share below. You donā€™t need to have any materials a home which I love. So far, when I have worked out at home I do lunges, squats, lots of stair climbing along with this helpful guide I found online. This gets your whole body moving and you feel refreshed after. I also have a few more ideas I found on Pinterest, so feel free to follow my boards! Ā Now, this may not work for you and I am not a fitness expert by any meansā€¦but this is what I found works for me. I also found being home, just by getting out and being more active helps. For example, I try to take the stairs as much as possible or get outside and walk more.

This is what i have been using at home. It works great and you feel great after!

Another great home work out I use!!

Follow me on Pinterest:Ā https://www.pinterest.com/elspethmizner/

I hope this answers your questions about what I do to stay in shape. Do you have any fitness suggestions or helpful hints? Comment below!! I always love learning new things!!

Categories
Fitness

My Fitness Journey {Part 1}

The only Ā picture I actually have from the gym, yep, no selfies that early in the morning!

Fitness has become a big part of my life this past year. Instead of writing one huge blog post about fitness, Iā€™m going to split it up into three posts over the next few weeks. The first one will be about how I first started getting into working out and being fit, the second one will be ways to work out whether you are at your home or a gym, and the third one is staying fit and not giving up.

So, letā€™s start at the beginning. Why did I get into fitness and working out?

We all have varied reasons for wanting to work out. Some work out to lose weight, others do it to get ready for summer.

I started working out last October, because I was bored, believe it or not! College is a lot of fun between activities, classes, and sleeping, but during my first semester I found myself with a lot of free time that needed filled, (there is only so much work you can do to get ahead in classes and only so much Netflix to watch). I started going to work out three times a week. I went once during the week between classes and then on Saturday and Sunday. I went by myself a lot, but eventually encouraged other friends to tag along (one of my favorite days was when my roommate decided to join me! I was on cloud 9!!!). My one close friend and I went a lot together during the fall, we had a similar schedule and would work out between classes. The gym was a wonderful way for us to hang out and get fit at the same time. She was my first gym buddy!

Every semester brings changes, from friends, to schedules, and classes. During my second semester, I had A LOT of free time. I had some days when my classes didnā€™t start until 12:30! Now, I am an early riser, I feel most productive in the mornings. I decided to change my fitness regime to working out first thing in the morning, thatā€™s right at 7 AM! I went three mornings a week before classes and then still on the weekends. Working out five days a week was a great stress reliever for me, when my schedule got so crazy, or I couldnā€™t focus anymore, the gym was a place where I could forget all my troubles and just focus on burning calories!

Please note, Shay and I NEVER look like this at the gym every morning. In reality, we look sleep deprived, sweaty, and stressed!

One of the biggest things I learned during my fitness journey is to have someone to motivate you! I found that during my spring semester. I started going every morning with someone who became one of my closest friends. I met Shayln in one of my classes and I found out we both loved to work out. Every morning no matter, rain, shine, snow, or even skunk (yes, we have encountered a few!) we met up at 7:10 to go work out, then we would come back and finish homework, study, watch Netflix, or even nap until we met up for lunch and then classes. Even though we were half asleep most mornings while working out and sometimes couldnā€™t even hold a conversation, we felt so much better after getting up and doing something productive. By having a routine, you meet people, when you see the same people every morning, sleep deprived and still running on the treadmill, you will become friends. Ā One of the things I miss the most about school in the summer is waking up every morning and hitting the gym with Shay!

Next upā€¦part 2, whatā€™s my work out routine and how do I keep up at home?!