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How Do I Measure Up?

If you’re trying to improve your health and fitness, you are probably using some standard by which you can measure your progress. In this post we will review several different ways to track health goals. We must start with a disclaimer – though we believe that these tools have some merit, we feel that the best measure of progress is how you feel. What’s your energy level like? How are you sleeping? How are your clothes fitting? How is your skin and hair health? Sometimes these subjective measurements can be more telling than the numbers on the scale or the calculator. We suggest using a number of different methods and tools to get an overall picture of your progress.

  1. Weight – traditional weight charts often do not take body type and muscle tone into account. For this reason, measuring your progress by weight alone may sometimes be deceiving. Still, it is one consideration when looking at your overall goals. A good weight calculator can be found on healthstatus.com.  You may also want to talk with your physician about your healthy weight based on your body type.
  2. Body Mass Index (BMI) – This measurement gives you number that compares your weight to your height. It may be an indicator of high body fat, though it has some shortcomings – it does not account for fat-free body mass, such as muscle and bone. Use this measurement together with others for a more accurate picture. Calculate your BMI at smartbmicalculator.com.
  3. Waist Measurements – Research has shown that waist circumference is linked to risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. According to Heartfoundation.org, a waist circumference of over 31.5 inches for women and 37 inches for men may mean an individual is at a higher risk for health concerns. We recommend measuring your waist, hips, biceps, thighs, and neck periodically during your health and fitness routine to track progress that way.
  4. Blood Pressure – Get a reading at your doctor’s office or local pharmacy and check it periodically as part of tracking your progress. Seeing your blood pressure normalize is just one of the many benefits of improving your health. Check out this article on the American Heart Association site to understand blood pressure numbers.

Use your good judgment when tracking your progress. Consider numerical and non-numerical successes as achievements along the way. While we can not offer medical advice, hopefully some of these tools can help you take snapshots of your overall health. Please talk to your physician about any questions or concerns you may have.

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Metabolism-Boosting Foods

No matter what meal plan you are following to meet your health and fitness goals, introducing some elements to give your metabolism a boost can be helpful. A faster metabolism helps you burn fat even while your body is at rest, aids in digestion, and is even linked with better moods and increase immune system responses. Check out this list of metabolism foods and incorporate as many of them as possible into your meal plan:

  1. Avocado: According to Prevention.com, consuming enough protein helps you to protect your metabolism. Avocados offer not only protein, but also amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids for heart health.
  2. Almonds: These also contain healthy fatty acids, but OrganicAuthority.com suggests that you don’t overdo it, as they are also high in calories. Try 6-10 almonds with an apple for a good snack.
  3. Hot Peppers: These thermogenic foods including cayenne, jalapeno, habanero, scotch bonnet and others literally heat things up. As shared on globalhealingcenter.com, hot peppers contain a compound called capsaicin that causes the metabolism to spike. These spikes can last up to 3 hours!
  4. Blueberries: These smoothie-friendly or eat alone fruits are full of antioxidants. Jaime Filer writes on bodybuilding.com, ” Antioxidants help prevent this oxidation from taking place, and thus prevents the build up of free radicals.” This is crucial for overall health and wellness, and free radicals can inhibit fat loss, muscle growth, and increase risk of disease.
  5. Spices: Luckily, healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland eating. Spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin contain metabolism-boosting compounds and have antioxidant properties. So season away! If you want to know more about the ins and outs of why spices boost metabolism, check out this guide on muscleandfitness.com.

These are a few ideas to get you started with boosting your metabolism. Add these to your meal plan this week and let us know what results you get!

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5 Awesome Apps

Technology has come a long way in the health and fitness world, and we can take advantage of the advances to help us reach our goals. Using apps can help us maintain accountability, get answers to health and fitness questions, tracking progress, and being part of a community of like-minded people. In this post we take a look at 5 apps with awesome features to keep us moving:

  1. MyFitnessPal – this is not a new app, but still ranks high on our list of favorites. According to Active.com, its food database has over 5 million items as well as a barcode scanner, making it quick and convenient to enter our daily food plans. We love that this app is very user friendly and the free version comes with everything you need keep a food diary and track your nutrition and progress.
  2. Charity Miles – As if becoming fitter and healthier didn’t make you feel good enough, with this free app for iOS and Android, you can also make a difference for the charity of your choice. PCmag.com says in their review that you can choose your charity and use the app to log mile – sponsors donate for every completed mile. What a motivator for you to go that extra mile!
  3. Aaptiv – Want personal training but have a tight budget? Try this app – for either $9.99/month or $75/year, you get access to personal training anywhere you go. Use it while running a trail, take it to the gym, try a yoga session at home. As reviewed by Jennifer Cohen on Forbes.com, the trainers motivate you “to get up and get going, while perfectly matched music keeps you energized and sees you through.”
  4. All Day – Does your competitive streak help keep you motivated? Then this may be the app for you! This is a new free app from Adidas, shared on Self.com. All Day looks at your movement, mindset, nutrition, and rest to suggest tips and plans for your health. You can sign up for challenges to keep you motivated and reaching new limits. We like this app for its all-around approach to health.
  5. Fitnet – If your time for workouts is limited, try this app, featured on greatist.com. It provides 5-7 minute workouts that you can do at home. You also have the option to use your phone’s camera to make sure you are doing the movements correctly, helping you to learn better technique while you exercise.

These are a few to get you started and we recommend looking at other options on the links we provided. Your smartphone can be a helpful tool for meeting health and fitness goals. Let us know what your favorites are!

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The Power Of Planks

Why plank? Fitness experts tend to agree that planks are awesome core-strengthening exercises. For those not in the know, a plank is a move in which you hold the trunk portion of your body off the ground in a straight line. fitness.mercola.com suggests that the ability to hold a plan for at least two minutes is a sign of adequate core strength and physical fitness. In this post we will look at some of the benefits as well as types of planks you can do.

Benefits

  • Toned Belly – This may seem obvious, but the advantage of planks when trying to improve your core strength is that it works multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
  • Improved Balance – Doing planks regularly helps you to find your center of gravity, as per theheartysoul.com. This in turn can help you improve your performance in athletic activities and dance.
  • Increased Flexibility – Planks do more than just help you with your core strength. As Szabo Laszlo reports on LifeHack.org, this exercise “expands and stretches all your posterior muscle groups – shoulders, shoulder blades, and collarbone – while also stretching your hamstrings, arches of your feet, and toes.”
  • Reduced Back Pain – According to Andrea Cespedes on LiveStrong.com, stronger ab muscles help support your back muscles, improving your posture and reducing pain from slouching.

Types of Planks

We love these moves we found on Shape.com. Check out the link for detailed descriptions and photos, as well as some additional moves.

  • Basic Plank – From a push-up position, bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms. Be sure your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
  • Plank with leg lift – Start with the basic plank, then hold one flexed foot a few inches off the floor. Repeat each leg about 10 times.
  • Side Plank – Lie on your side, knees straight and feet stacked, then prop yourself up on your elbow and forearm. Hold 30 seconds on each side.
  • Side Plank with leg lift – From side plan position, lift your top leg as high as you can, foot flexed. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Get started with these moves and make planking part of your exercise routine. Let us know how it goes!

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Exercise at Home!

No Gym Membership? No Problem! In this post we will take you through a workout that you can do right from the comfort of your home. If you can invest in some basic exercise equipment for home workouts such as a mat, some weights or resistance bands, and a stability ball that’s great. If not, you can still have a great work out at home by following these tips.

This comprehensive 30 minute workout from Health.com includes cardio, strength training, and ab work. Check out the link for instructions with pictures.

2 minutes of jumping jacks

24 reps of side lunges on each leg

24 dancing squats on each leg

2 minutes of line hops

Bridge and Lift – 24 reps on each side

Bicep circles – 16 reps on each arm

2 minutes of fast feet

24 reps of triceps with a twist on each side

16 reps of roll over sit ups in each direction

2 minutes of cross crawl

If you do not have weights, try putting some heavy cans or a brick in a shopping bag with a handle. If you’re a beginner, you may want to do this workout without the weights to start, until you build up your endurance a bit. This is a great way to get moving – do this routine several times a week for improved circulation and heart health, stronger muscles, and boosted metabolism! Let us know in the comments how it goes!

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Motivational Quotes

At Fitter Healthier Life, one of our aims is to provide motivation for our readers. To help support you as you work on your health and fitness goals, we have put together a list of some of our favorite motivational quotes:

  • “If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen.” -Cassey Ho

  • “Commit to being the very best version of yourself today.” -Lindsay Vastola
  • “Fear is what stops you… courages is what keeps you going.” –Unknown
  • “Resolve to do the things you find to be difficult. That’s what confident people do. ” -Chalene Johnson
  • “Health is a relationship between you and your body.” – Terri Guillemets
  • “To endeavor being my 100 per cent self every day, I understand that my best is relative to circumstance. Having this knowledge enables me to be my best every day without putting undue pressure on myself. So, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve had a bad day, just decide if you’ve done your best under the circumstances you’ve been dealt – and just breathe!” -Caroline Kremer
  • “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” -Mae West
  • “It’s not how long, it’s how strong.” -Jackie Warner

Hope these quotes give you a boost today!

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Perks of Protein

For anyone hoping to be fitter and healthier, protein should not be neglected. Our bodies need it to build and repair tissue, keep metabolisms boosted, and make body chemicals such as enzymes and hormones. Experts advise eating between 0.5 grams and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of your body weight each day. You may strive for the lower end if you are mostly sedentary, and the higher end of the range if you are active as a general rule of thumb. In this post we will explore some of the many benefits of a protein-rich diet.

Benefits of Protein

  • Improved muscle mass – Dr. Axe shares on his site that eating enough protein prevents muscle atrophy and improves muscle recovery and synthesis after strength training.
  • Feel fuller – According to the Poliquin Group, eating enough protein keeps you feeling full and satisfied longer, and with fewer calories than carbs.
  • Improved bone health – Kris Gunnars of Authority Nutrition dispels the myth that protein is bad for your bones. In fact, studies show that people who eat more protein are more likely to retain bone mass as they age.
  • Improved Immune Response – Proteins are necessary for the body’s self-defense system, giving it the ability to detect antigens. Visit organicfacts.net for more.
  • More Fat loss – As pointed out on muscleforlife.com, your weight loss goal is about fat loss, not muscle loss. A protein-rich diet supports fat loss while preserving muscle.

Protein sources include, meat, poultry, fish, diary, eggs, soy, and whey. Be sure to get adequate amounts of protein in your daily diet!