Ingredients:
● 2 cups old-fashioned oats
● 1/2 cup wheat germ
● 1 cup Extra Ingredients (fruit or nuts)
● 1 Tb. Water
● 1/3 cup Honey
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Step 2: Bring honey and water to a simmer in a small saucepan.
Step 3: Meanwhile, mix together all dry ingredients.
Step 4: Pour simmered mix over dry ingredients and mix.
Step 5: Spray cooking spray on deep cookie sheet and then spread mix on sheet.
Step 6: Bake for 15 min. Stir. Then another 10-15.
I recently went to Sky High Sports in Nashville and checked out their huge trampoline gym. There are aerobics classes, dodgeball, a foam pit and more that will help you burn calories and have a great time with your family and friends. If you think that ‘work’ing out HAS to be WORK, then you haven’t given one of these places a try. Check out the interview!
Check out JumpSkyHigh.com for more information about a trampoline gym near you!
I officially did my first sprint triathlon – here’s what you need to know!
In this Fit Life, I’m giving you some tips for your first triathlon. I just did my first one and although I wanted to get a better time, I’m very pleased with finishing at 1:55, especially at 3 months pregnant! A sprint triathlon is usually about a 400m swim, 13 mi bike and 3 mi run. I learned a lot on the way and I want to share that with you so when you decide to take the plunge, you are prepared!
Triathlon Tips:
The first thing is to make sure you follow a program. Now, this is true of any fitness goal but choosing a program from an expert, we knew that our training would adequately prepare us. We picked Hal Higdon. If you want to look in to all that’s needed for training for any kind of triathlon you can also check out BeginnerTriathlete.com. Tons of information for anyone looking into the sport.
One of the best ways to prepare on race day is to have your transition station set up. This is where you will change from swimming to biking and then later from biking to running. Just lay out a big towel by your bike and then lay out everything you need for the race on your towel. This could be a snack bar or sports drink and of course your shoes and socks. You can gain a lot of time, or if your not set up correctly lose a lot, during your transition.
Take a few moments and get set up for whatever you need.
Finally, make sure you practice in race-like conditions. We did lots of swimming but our race was in a river in a rainstorm so the current, the waves, the rain and wind AND all the people, made for an overwhelming experience. I think if we’d swam outside a couple of times beforehand, it wouldn’t have been such a shock.
Well these are just a couple of things that I learned during my first triathlon. Let me know your top tips!
One of my favorite things about the changing of the seasons is that you get to change up your fitness routine to enjoy each one. So now is the time to get outside and love it before winter hits and we are stuck in the gym!!
Fall Fitness Tips:
1) The hot humid weather has passed and in its place is awesome temperatures and cool breezes. This is the perfect opportunity to get outside and soak up some sun and mother nature before winter hits! So do it! Go outside and enjoy the perfect weather for excercise!
2) When exercising in fall weather, you want to make sure you are planning accordingly. Dress in layers so you can pile on or peel off as the temperature changes or you end up in the shade. Plus, the days are getting shorter so the sun will go down sooner so make sure you are visible as well as comfortable. This may even be the time to invest in some visibility bands like the ones at amphipod.com. Super lightweight and reflective they are perfect when you get caught in the dark mid run or bike.
3) It may have been too hot to go outside this summer but there are no excuses now! Enjoy a couple months of biking, hiking, an outside bootcamp or even start training for a turkey trot!
There are several reasons your fitness routine should be changing, just as the seasons do so get ready to go outside!
One of my favorite things about the changing of the seasons is that you get to change up your fitness routine to enjoy each one. So now is the time to get outside and love it before winter hits and we are stuck in the gym!!
Fall Fitness Tips:
1) The hot humid weather has passed and in its place is awesome temperatures and cool breezes. This is the perfect opportunity to get outside and soak up some sun and mother nature before winter hits! So do it! Go outside and enjoy the perfect weather for excercise!
2) When exercising in fall weather, you want to make sure you are planning accordingly. Dress in layers so you can pile on or peel off as the temperature changes or you end up in the shade. Plus, the days are getting shorter so the sun will go down sooner so make sure you are visible as well as comfortable. This may even be the time to invest in some visibility bands like the ones at amphipod.com. Super lightweight and reflective they are perfect when you get caught in the dark mid run or bike.
3) It may have been too hot to go outside this summer but there are no excuses now! Enjoy a couple months of biking, hiking, an outside bootcamp or even start training for a turkey trot!
There are several reasons your fitness routine should be changing, just as the seasons do so get ready to go outside!
In this episode of Fit Life, we’ve got a couple more awesome fitness gadgets that will make your life a little bit better (and safer!)
The first is these visibility bands. You might not want to invest in reflective clothing or vests so these inexpensive reflective bands can be worn on your wrists or ankles and are great for keeping you safe if you end up exercising after dark. They are $13 for the pair at amphipod.com and i love that they are super subtle in the daylight but super reflective at night time!
Next, we have this water bottle that has a storage compartment! If you’ve ever lost your ID or keys at the gym or even in your own house – this water bottle will keep all of your stuff concealed and collected! It is $20 at sportandstore.com and comes in lots of colors.
These fitness gadgets will not only make your life better and safer, but they are also great gift inexpensive gift ideas.
Bored with arm exercises – I’ve got 3 moves that will rock your arms in no time!
Today we are throwing out our boring tricep and arm exercises and adding in some new more challenging ones! Let’s get started with…
3 legged crab:This bodyweight move works the triceps, shoulders and the core by challenging your balance as well! This is an intermediate move but the results are worth it!
Medicine ball pushup pass: This medicine ball pushup variation works the chest and triceps and helps to improve muscle coordination!
Wow, hello middle of August! Yikes, the kids are heading back to school and the London 2012 Olympic Games are officially over. My TV has once again fallen silent and I already miss Bob Costas… not to mention I haven’t sat on the couch since the Closing Ceremonies! Let’s reminisce, shall we?
How awesome was Allyson Felix in Track & Field? Taking home 3 Golds when she has been shut out the last 2 Games, so inspiring! When we watched her run that 200, it seemed like it was easy for her. Just crazy! The one thing that really stood out to me was in the interview afterwards, she said that she knew what she had to do but it meant she had to say, “no”, to people and things because she knew that it would interfere with her training. I thought – Now that is a life lesson. I’ve always struggled with saying no to people because I want to help and be part of everything. However, when I’m spread too thin, I’m no good to anyone at anything! Allyson is a perfect example of how setting your sights on something and then going for it, no matter what, is how you Get Shit Done!
Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor – a 3rd Gold Medal! They were so much fun to watch throughout these Games and I thought it was crazy impressive that the Gold medal match was between both US Teams!
One of the next highlights for us was watching David Boudia win Gold in the 10m platform diving competition. I’m all for heights and I use to be a tumbler but adding water to that combo is just amazing to me! I love watching the diving because the precision and the technique is just so elegant and gorgeous to watch. When people make things look easy, it always tricks me into thinking that I could do it too! A friend of ours tweeted during the Games that every competition should include an average person so we could get a better grasp of the scale and the level that the athletes are really at. I laughed because I thought it was a brilliant idea! Could you imagine pulling someone from the audience to go first and then watching the finals in every competition? I think it would definitely add some perspective.
As always the Olympic Games were amazing and inspiring to watch and now we get to look forward to Rio in 2016 and Sochi in 2014 for the Winter Games.
Leave your favorite London 2012 moment in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a $20 Visa gift card!
Also, it’s not too late to send some Cheers to the athletes on Facebook! Cheer Now!
I am blogging on behalf of the Visa Go World Olympic Campaign and receive compensation for my time, but the thoughts, words, and promotions on this page are mine, not Visa’s.
Making Olympic History. This was the goal and the achievement of Michael Phelps in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Most of us can’t imagine winning an Olympic medal, let alone a Gold medal. But to kick ass in 3 Olympics and bring home 22 medals, that is just unfathomable to me (and I’m guessing most people). It seems like such an anomaly to watch so many amazing athletes push themselves and each other to such superhuman levels but yet, there are so many of them! Makes me feel a little lazy, I have to say!
There seems to be a formula for these athletes though and I feel that I’ve seen this formula work in real life too. Talent, Training and Dedication are what comprises each of these people.
Talent:
There is an element of talent that has to be present in order for the training to take hold of and enhance. I believe that you can train anyone to do anything, but without talent, they won’t be the best in the world.
Training:
Practice makes perfect does seem to fit this scenario. The practice and training schedules of these individuals and well, most successful individuals, is strenuous, regimented and challenging. It is designed to be pushing them to the next level, always.
Dedication:
I’m sure we’ve noticed the dedication by the athletes and their families but this is the final element of achieving the dream. They have to dedicate and sacrifice things for the end goal. It isn’t just showing up for practice, it is giving that practice everything they’ve got. It is about being present in the process and not just going through the motions. Dedication might be the biggest and hardest part of this process because sometimes, it is just plain tough to be motivated. This even happens to everyone but being able to find that motivation comes from the dedication and determination of that end goal.
So now that I’ve listed out the elements of success, there is no reason that any of us will ever falter again, right?! There are all kinds of cliches and sayings in this world about thinkers and doers and success and hard work and luck but at the end of the day it really is about having a dream, having a plan to achieve that dream and then the dedication to make it happen. Michael Phelps and so many of the Olympic athletes have followed these steps and have shown us that anything is possible.
Congrats to Michael and all of the Olympic athletes. Now go out and get yourself a Gold Medal!
What is your next big goal?
Leave it in the comments below and have a chance to win a $20 Visa Gift Card.
I am blogging on behalf of the Visa Go World Olympic Campaign and receive compensation for my time, but the thoughts, words, and promotions on this page are mine, not Visa’s.
This is a techie gadget that is easy to use! It tracks how many steps you take, how many calories you burn, your sleep patterns and gives you the data so you can work toward your weight loss and fitness goals. Plus if you do have an inner nerd and a smartphone, you can get apps that work with the Fit Bit to make it even more robust! The cost is $99 and if can be found at Fitbit.com.
Steps: How many steps did you take today? Notice the difference in calorie burn. Set a goal and then meet it! The more steps you take, the healthier you are!
Burn: How many calories did you burn today? It’s fun to see the number right there on the screen for you – no more waiting until the end of the day to see you didn’t meet your goals! This means you can watch it throughout the day and then keep yourself accountable to meet your goals.
Stairs: How many flights of stairs did you climb today? You can set up fun goals for yourself to help you reach your weight loss goals and challenge yourself!
Sleep: How many times do you wake up at night? How long did it take you to fall asleep? The Fit Bit tracks all of this and gives you the data so you can see your patterns. You might find that you should be waking earlier or going to bed later! You might also see patterns such as, when you have a healthy snack before bed, you sleep better… You won’t know unless you test it!
Flower: Your flower gets more leaves the more active you are. This is a fun visual for when the numbers just don’t matter to you. The goal is always to keep the flower healthy and growing!
I didn’t dive into the apps but from what I’ve read, it’s a pretty cool feature.
This device went over so well that my partner has been wearing it for weeks and won’t give it back! He is obsessed with keeping the flower at full power! If you want to track your activities, for $99 at FitBit.com – this is a great investment!
