“Cardiovascular health is more important than any other single factor in preserving and improving learning and memory,” says Thomas Crook, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and memory researcher. “You’re working out your brain at the same time as your heart.”

And the mental mojo you get from cardio isn’t limited to making you smarter. It also has the power to lower your stress levels and shake you out of a funk. It’s no coincidence that so many high-achieving women—from Madonna to Condoleezza Rice—share the cardio habit. Here’s how it works.

Your Brain on Cardio

Anyone who has ever tackled a StairMaster has a pretty good idea of what happens to your body when you break a sweat. But here’s what’s going on in your head at the same time: All that extra blood bathes your brain cells in oxygen and glucose, which they need to function. The more they get, the better they perform.

Every muscle you move also sends hormones rushing to your brain. There, they mix with a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which plays a role in brain cell growth, mood regulation, and learning. “BDNF is like fertilizer for the brain,” says John J. Ratey, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “Without it, our brains can’t take in new information or make new cells.”

Exercise has another vital role: It signals the release of several key hormones, including serotonin, the famed mood booster; dopamine, which affects learning and attention; and norepinephrine, which influences attention, perception, motivation, and arousal. This exercise-induced chemical cocktail has a powerful impact. “By elevating neurotransmitters in the brain, it helps us focus, feel better, and release tension,” Ratey says.

Experienced regularly, all that rushing of blood and hormones primes your brain to grow. In one study, researchers scanned the brains of people who exercised for one hour per day, three days a week, for a duration of six months. They discovered an increase in the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory and learning. Working out literally bulked up the study participants’ brains, allowing them to perform better at tasks that require concentration and recall — two talents that come in handy if, say, you do your own taxes or tend to forget passwords.

“Exercise improves attention, memory, accuracy, and how quickly you process information, all of which helps you make smarter decisions,” says Charles H. Hillman, Ph.D., an associate professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Mental Advantage

People who exercised during their workday were 23 percent more productive on those days than they were when they didn’t exercise, says a recent study from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management. And the majority of the study participants (72 percent) did aerobic workouts.

A pulse-pounding workout acts like a cup of coffee (minus the jitters): Your heartbeat picks up, your circulation increases, you’re filled with energy, and your thinking becomes clearer and sharper. What’s more, a study published in Brain and Cognition found that after just 30 minutes of doing an easy half-hour bike ride, subjects completed a cognitive test faster than they did before exercising… and just as accurately. And the brain-boosting effect lasted for at least 52 minutes after the ride.

Use this cardio-induced clarity to your advantage by timing your daily sweat sometime before you punch the clock, on your lunch break, or prior to a demanding task like a big meeting (just don’t skip the post-workout shower!).

Boost Your Memory

If you suck at remembering names, lay off the sudoku and feed your brain some exercise. In a study published in Perceptual and Motor Skills, women performed 20 percent better on memory tests after running on a treadmill than they did before exercising. They also increased problem-solving abilities by 20 percent.

The intensity of your workout makes a difference too. A study in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory found that people learned vocabulary words 20 percent faster after intense exercise than after low-intensity activity. Those who did more-demanding exercise had a bigger spike in their brains’ levels of BDNF, dopamine, and epinephrine afterward. So the more you challenge your body, the more your gray matter benefits.

Sweat More, Stress Less

The reason you feel better after taking a kickboxing class may have more to do with your mental state than how many punches you landed. According to a study presented last year at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting, exercise can improve your outlook. After riding a stationary bike for 20 minutes at moderate intensity, a group of 18- to 25-year-olds reported an immediate positive change in mood. While the study didn’t measure endorphins, it’s known that your body can release the euphoria-inducing chemicals during exercise.

What’s a bit harder to explain is that their mood lift lasted up to 12 hours. Scientists may have a clue though. Preliminary research presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience found that when the brains of rats were studied after the rodents had been subjected to stress (made to swim in cold water), those that had been allowed to run beforehand reacted less to the stress than those that hadn’t. In the critters at least, the new brain cells created by exercise appeared to help them resist stress. In other words, exercise — a “positive” stress — effectively rewired their brains to help them better deal with less pleasant stress. Researchers say the same may be true of humans.

Capitalize on Cardio

Will any old way of raising your heartbeat also raise your success meter? Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise — such as pedaling a bike, walking briskly, or anything where you’re breaking a sweat but can still carry on a conversation — shows promise in lab studies.

It takes at least 30 minutes of cardio three times a week to yield results, says Arthur F. Kramer, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, based on his studies on cognition and exercise. And if you can build up to daily cardio sessions, recent studies show that you may boost BDNF in your brain more rapidly than if you work out every other day. But it still might take a while to build the kind of brainpower that buffers you against stress.

After a few months of a regular cardio habit, gradually increase the intensity of your workouts to boost your mental returns. “Add a few vigorous efforts like running or interval training to your weekly program,” Ratey says. Or try alternating between your usual routine and some workouts that are mentally challenging, such as dancing or tennis, a few times a week. Activities like these require coordination, which engages several areas of the brain at once — it’s the mental equivalent of doing a pushup to work your entire upper body versus a biceps curl that targets only one muscle.

And if you happen to take a break from regular exercise, even for up to two weeks, no worries. Your brain has a molecular memory, which helps it churn out high levels of BDNF after just two days of hitting the elliptical again.

If a few hours a week on the treadmill ultimately helps you think quicker, make better decisions, and climb the ladder at work, your sweat will have literally paid off.

5 Surprising Things A Workout can Help You Do

1. OVERCOME CRAVINGS.

The next time you hear a candy bar calling your name, try taking a hike. In one recent study published in the journal Appetite, subjects who took a brisk 15-minute walk decreased their cravings for chocolate by 12 percent. Just be sure to choose a route away from the vending machine.

2. LOSE THE MUFFIN TOP.

Obvious, right? A study in the journal Obesity found that just 80 minutes of cardio a week slowed weight gain and stopped participants from gaining visceral fat (the dangerous kind inside the abdomen that’s been linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease) a year after weight loss.

3. QUIT THE CANCER STICKS.

Research shows that 10- to 15-minute sessions of aerobic exercise trigger changes within the brain that help defuse nicotine cravings in smokers. What’s more, a separate study found that cardio activity can also make smoking-related images less likely to grab smokers’ attention.

4. KEEP YOUR SIGHT.

People who ran 1.2 to 2.5 miles a day had a 19 percent lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, while those who ran more cut their chance by 42 to 54 percent, according to a study from Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Vigorous activity may also decrease cataract risk.

5. REDUCE YOUR BREAST-CANCER RISK.

Women who did either moderate exercise for 2.5 hours or vigorous activity for 75 minutes a week cut their chance of dying from breast cancer by a third, according to a study from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Women who did about twice as much cardio lowered their risk by 55 percent.

Can Dumbbells Make You Smarter Too?

New research says they do.

A recent study published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology found that people who did moderate- to high-intensity strength training showed a significant increase in how fast they processed information. “Doing a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise may offer the brain the biggest benefits,” says study coauthor Jennifer L. Etnier, Ph.D., an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Written by By Karen Asp
Originally published at Women’s Health Magazine

DON’T toss your workout shoes once they’ve lost their support. Recycle them at NikeReuseaShoe.com, which accepts any brand of athletic shoe.

DO wash workout clothes separately in cold water on the delicate cycle and then air-dry. This extends the fabric’s life and prevents shrinkage. Bonus washing DON’T: DON’T use fabric softener on clothing that provides wicking; it inhibits the wicking functionality.

DON’T wear bulky socks. There shouldn’t be any folds of excess fabric, otherwise you may end up with nasty blisters. Make sure socks fit snugly.

DO avoid tight-fitting elastic around your arms, shoulders, neck, waist and ankles. These are prime areas for chafing. Check the placement of seams and decorative piping to make sure it won’t inhibit movement.

DON’T wear dark clothes if you’re exercising outside in warm weather. Black, brown and navy will absorb the sunlight and you’ll heat up quickly.

DO look for sales and low prices. Stores like Ross and TJ Maxx often carry regular name brands at lower prices, but it might take a little more work to find what you need. Stores like Target and Kohl’s now offer affordable fitness wear solutions as well.

Originally published on Womansday.com

To help our communities burn off those extra Thanksgiving calories, Total Woman Gym & Day Spa is opening its doors Thursday, Nov 24th through Sunday, Nov 27th! That’s right: you can come work out at Total Woman for FREE this holiday weekend! This amazing free weekend is a great opportunity for women in our communities to get in and get started building healthier habits. Click here for a complete list of locations, and come in today… we can’t wait to see you!

Don’t have time for intensive skin care? Pamper yourself with the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent many skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.

1. Protect yourself from the sun
The most important way to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots and rough, dry skin. Sun exposure can also cause more-serious problems, such as skin cancer. For the most complete sun protection:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when the sun’s rays are the strongest.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. You might also opt for special sun-protective clothing, which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays while keeping you cool and comfortable.
• Use sunscreen when you’re in the sun. Apply generous amounts of broad-spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.

2. Don’t smoke
Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — may contribute to wrinkles.

If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Treat your skin gently
Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin, so keep it gentle:

• Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
• Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
• Moisturize dry skin. Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft.

4. Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn’t clear — but research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in fats and carbohydrates may promote younger looking skin.

5. Manage stress
Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — takes steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results may be more dramatic than you expect.

Written by Mayo Clinic staff
Originally published at MayoClinic.com

The remedy for the healthy-but-boring dilemma is easy: Stock your pantry with a few strategic items that consistently bring a little “spark” to your cooking without adding significant cost or calories. Start with great basic ingredients, prepare them simply, and then add a punch of flavor to really elevate the dish.

Add flavor without all the fat by trying these five “secret” ingredients!

Lemon Juice
Squeeze half a lemon (6 calories per serving) over just about anything, and you’ll get a burst of flavor that’s bright and expressive. Here are some ideas:

• Toss a bowlful of Bibb or butter head lettuce with lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, and you have a fantastic (not to mention cheaper and healthier) alternative to bottled salad dressing.
• Spritz lemon juice over steamed, grilled or sautéed green vegetables of any kind: broccoli, snap peas, fresh spinach, asparagus, green beans, zucchini. For even brighter flavor, grate the rind of half a lemon using a microplane or zester, and add that to the dish. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add lemon juice to marinade for chicken; when cooked, it will create a more tender and juicy dish. Squeeze lemon juice over a grilled steak.
• Make a compound butter: Combine 1 stick of salted butter (softened at room temperature) with the zest of 1 lemon and 2 Tbsp. of finely minced parsley. Wrap in waxed paper; place in a zip-top bag and store in the freezer. Use this to sauté vegetables or to top grilled steak or fish; a little bit (35 calories per tablespoon) goes a long way—and adds a ton of flavor.
• Try preserved lemons: Traditionally a Mediterranean ingredient, lemons that have been preserved in salt punch up a range of dishes. Buy them at a specialty food store, or make your own. Add preserved lemon to marinades, dressings or rubs for grilled or roasted meat.

Garlic
Sure, you know about garlic. But here’s an insider technique that really brings out garlic’s flavor. Place a large unpeeled clove on a cutting board; place the blade of a chef’s knife flat to cover the garlic, and hit it sharply with your palm. This makes it easy to remove the papery skin. Trim off the root end and remove any green sprout inside. Hold the knife at about a 45-degree angle to the cutting board, and firmly draw the blade across the smashed garlic repeatedly, creating a paste. If your recipe calls for salt, then sprinkle some on the garlic as you work; the salt is abrasive and helps mash the garlic. Add this paste to salad dressing, marinade or a sauté pan instead of using chopped garlic.

Pepper
Think beyond basic black pepper and try pimenton, cayenne and red pepper flakes for a new range of flavors. Pepper is essentially calorie-free and doesn’t carry the health risks that salt (sodium) does. Try these varieties:

• Pimenton is a smoked Spanish paprika that adds a spicy, smoky taste that’s hot (but not overly so) and deeply flavored. Pimenton is fantastic on vegetables—it’s crazy good on steamed or creamed corn. It’s also wonderful on grilled meats and a terrific addition to any Tex-Mex dish in your repertoire.
• Cayenne can pack a lot of heat, and the fresher it is, the hotter. So, use cayenne sparingly when you want just a bit of a kick. Add a pinch, then taste and see if the dish can take more heat.
• Red pepper flakes aren’t just pizza toppers; they’re great in spaghetti sauce, as well. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes along with garlic when you sauté any vegetable, particularly if you’re going for an Italian flavor. You can also add a pinch to any marinade for some extra spice.

Herb blends
Yep, you know the ones that are sitting in jars gathering dust in your cabinet. How many of us buy specialty blends and then completely forget we have them? But interesting herb mixes can add tremendous flavor to simple dishes. (Hint: If you have no idea when you purchased that jar of Italian seasoning, then you should pitch it and get a new one—then USE IT! Jarred herbs and spices lose their flavor after more than a year.) You can find good herb or spice blends in the grocery, but the specialty retailers are really worth checking out—their proprietary blends are terrific, and make wonderful gifts for yourself or for foodies you know. I recommend these two: The Spice House and Penzey’s.

You can always find these herb/spice blends in my kitchen:

• Herbes de Provence, a blend of French and Italian herbs like thyme, rosemary, tarragon, basil, marjoram, and others, plus lavender (which gives the unique flavor). This blend is fabulous sprinkled on sautéed or steamed green vegetables, or mixed with goat cheese for a cocktail spread.
• The Spice House’s Lake Shore Drive Seasoning is a mix of chives, dried shallot and green pepper, with onion, garlic and salt. It has become essential on grilled fish, is delicious on scrambled eggs when we do breakfast for dinner, and it’s great on sautéed green vegetables.
• Italian Herb Blend is an easy-to-find combo of basil, oregano, thyme and often rosemary. Make your own Italian dressing by combining 2 tsp. of herb blend with 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Use in spaghetti sauce, marinades, or toss with angel hair pasta and a bit of butter for a simple side dish.
• Chef Meg’s Taco Seasoning really packs a punch of flavor in a 3-ingredient mix of chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Add this to chili, burritos, tacos and more.

Sauces
Simple, vegetable- or herb-based sauces make flavorful, low-cal toppings for grilled or broiled meats. Try these ideas:

• Salsa, either homemade or prepared, goes well with mild fish (like tilapia or sea bass). You can top grilled fish with room temperature salsa. You can even grill a steak and top it with a combination of 1 cup diced fresh tomato, 2 Tbsp. slivered basil and 1 Tbsp. each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Salsa can also take the place of dressing on a salad for just a fraction of the calories!
• Chimichurri is a South American blend of fresh herbs—primarily parsley, with garlic, wine vinegar and olive oil. Some variations call for fresh oregano or cilantro. Try spooning chimichurri over grilled steak or fish. Its Italian cousin, of course, is pesto, which traditionally is fairly high in fat (thanks to olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese). A lighter version of pesto, made with parsley instead of basil, is great on fish.
• Roasted red pepper sauce enhances grilled pork or chicken, and it’s a terrific sandwich topping. Here’s how to make it: Roast 2 whole red bell peppers under the broiler until the skins are blackened; remove and place in a paper bag to steam the skins loose. Peel, seed and chop into 1/4 inch dice. (You can even use a jar of roasted red peppers.) Add a clove of garlic, smashed, 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and salt and pepper.

As you can see, eating healthy doesn’t have to be tasteless or boring. Once you try these secret ingredients, you’ll be hooked!

Written by Bryn Mooth
Originally published at Sparkpeople.com

You’ve done well all week, but the scale says you’ve gained a pound. You panic, feeling certain that you’re doomed to be fat forever.

You set the alarm an hour early to exercise, but hit snooze. Feeling like a lazy slug, you wonder if you have any willpower to do what you know you need to.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

The tendency to leap from minor, trivial problems to overblown, unrealistic conclusions is something that everyone struggles with to some degree. This type of negative thinking is one of the biggest reasons that people have difficulty sticking to their weight loss plan—and why small problems can cause stress and misery that is often avoidable.

Of course, there are dozens of deep, psychological reasons why individuals get caught up in this negativity. But you don’t have to know why you do it to stop being negative. All you have to do is to take a close look at what you are actually doing and decide to stop doing it for that moment. Here are three techniques you can use to stop all those negative thoughts before they stop you:

1. Look for Hidden Thoughts and Assumptions

The process of moving from an event (like going over your daily calories) to a conclusion about the meaning of that event (I’ve blown my diet) and what you should do about it (keep eating, start over later), typically involves several more mental steps that you probably aren’t aware of. Psychologists call these intermediate steps automatic thoughts because they are habitual, happen quickly, and feel so “right” to us that we don’t even notice them.

Although you can’t completely prevent automatic thoughts from occurring (after all, they naturally help us make good decisions in a hurry), these thoughts are not always accurate. Chronic negativity about yourself or your situation is a good sign that your automatic thoughts are inaccurate.

Luckily, it’s not difficult to learn how to identify your automatic thoughts, figure out if they make sense, and change the ones that aren’t working for you. The first step is to develop the habit of asking yourself: “What would have to be true in order for the negative conclusion I reached to be justified?”

For example, what would have to be true in order for going over your calorie limit to mean that you’ve “blown” your diet? Wouldn’t it have to be true that your diet is a one-day event that requires a perfect performance on your part? You know that’s not the case.

2. Learn to Argue with Yourself

Once you recognize some of your automatic thoughts, you can inspect them and, if necessary, argue with them. The flaw in the above example is pretty obvious: Permanent weight loss is not a short-term project, and doesn’t require perfection. But sometimes the flaw or assumption won’t be as obvious. If that’s the case, then you may need to do some investigating.

Before you jump to conclusions or attack your own character, ask yourself a few basic questions:

• If someone I respect did exactly what I did, would I come to the same conclusion about them that I’m coming to about myself?
• If someone came to me asking for advice about how to deal with this problem, what would I say to them? Would I tell them it’s a lost cause?
• How does my conclusion help solve the problem? Does deciding that I’m a “lazy slug” without willpower empower me or enable me to do better next time? What thoughts would do that?
• Is this a problem that lots of people have or am I the only one facing it? What do other people think or do when they run into this problem?
• Is this problem a general pattern in my life or am I blowing one incident out of proportion? Are there times when I do well at things that clearly require willpower and self-discipline—like going to work every day and taking care of my family?
• Have I put the same amount of time and effort into thinking about solutions as I have into listing the problems?

The more of these questions that you ask yourself, the more easily you’ll be able to spot—and correct—your negative automatic thoughts that are lurking underneath your tendency to assume the worst whenever things don’t go the way you planned.

3. Do What Doesn’t Come Naturally

One reason that negative thoughts become so automatic and pervasive in our minds is that they are consistent with our typical feelings. If you find yourself jumping to negative conclusions about yourself, your abilities, and your options and opportunities, it’s probably because that feels “right” and comfortable to you.

This doesn’t mean you have to figure out why it feels “right” to feel bad about yourself. Again, you’ll simply respond better to doing things differently, rather than spending hours rooting through emotional baggage.

Changing those negative thoughts and judgments into realistic and reasonable ones is going to feel uncomfortable and unnatural. In fact, feeling uncomfortable is probably a good sign that this is exactly what you need to be doing to get past your problems.

So when you’re unsure about what the problem is, your best bet is to do what doesn’t come naturally. When you find yourself arriving at a negative conclusion about you or your situation, stop thinking that and start thinking the exact opposite. If you’re thinking that there’s something fundamentally wrong with you, tell yourself the problem is in the situation—not in you—and look for ways to change the situation. If you think you’re “doomed to be fat forever,” tell yourself that success is unavoidable if you want it; if you’re feeling like a “lazy slug,” tell yourself that your “true self” really does want to exercise. You get the idea.

No matter how big, bad or scary the problem seems, you’re always just one thought away from turning it into an opportunity for change, growth and progress. All you have to do is find that thought.

Written by Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert
Originally published on Sparkpeople.com

Most people approach changing their health habits from a position of “pain”. They constantly nag themselves, berate themselves and expect nothing but perfection, no matter how much progress is made. Tools of the trade are guilt, doubt, shame and self-flogging. Instead of celebrating the 24 pounds they’ve lost, they see the six they still haven’t lost. Sound familiar? To people used to beating themselves up, it may seem like the best way to get motivated. But consider this: if you attempted to motivate an employee like that, how long do you think they’d stick around? How successful would they be?

Let’s do it differently this time. Try to approach your goals from a position of “possibilities” instead. Find ways to use regular rewards to pat yourself on the back and give a word of encouragement. Instead of focusing on what you do wrong, try paying more attention to what you do right. While straight talk and brutal honesty are often good for getting your butt moving, for sustained motivation, the positive approach will keep you from burning out.

Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.

Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:

1. Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.
2. Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
3. Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy.
4. A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
5. Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
6. Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
7. Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or “borrowing” against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.

Create your own Reward Roster!
Come up with your own, or choose your favorites from our sample list below and use them liberally:

• Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
• Create an actual plaque or trophy.
• Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
• Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
• Take a day off from any goal activities.
• Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
• Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
• See a movie.
• Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
• Go for a spa treatment or massage.
• Buy yourself a gift certificate.
• Take a limo ride.
• Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
• Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
• Watch your favorite TV show.
• Buy something for your hobby.
• Read a funny book.
• Celebrate “100% Days”. If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
• Find some time to be by yourself.
• Pay someone to do the yard work or house cleaning this week.

Written by Mike Kramer
Originally published at Sparkpeople.com

While a walking program can be exciting and challenging at first, you don’t want to fall into a rut by doing the same thing month after month. Here are some ways to add variety to your workouts, whether outdoors or inside on the treadmill.

Add an Incline
Even adding a moderate hill can significantly boost your energy expenditure so you burn more calories, build more strength, and strengthen your bones.

• On a treadmill, start with the incline at 2% and add 1% every few weeks. Don’t add so much incline that you have to hold on to the treadmill or can’t maintain proper walking form. If that happens, bring the incline back down to a more comfortable level.
• Outside, vary your route to include more hills. The change of route will keep you from getting bored, and the hills will increase the intensity of your workout.
• Try incline intervals. Instead of walking up a steady incline the entire time, walk up a hill or incline for a few minutes, and then walk downhill (or at a lower incline) to recover for a few minutes. Repeat these intervals during your workout to keep things interesting.

Try Speed Walking
Pump your arms (at a 90-degree angle) vigorously as you speed up your pace. Your arms should move front-to-back and not side-to-side (commonly referred to as “chicken wings”). You can burn 5%-10% extra calories by adding this faster, more deliberate arm movement to your walks. Practice this technique over short distances until you can build up your time and speed, being sure to breathe properly the entire time.

Just Add Water
Walking in the water (waist high and above) is harder than it looks. The water’s resistance makes walking much more challenging. In turn, walking on land will feel easier if you also train in the water. Plus, water exercise is easy on the joints.

• In the shallow end, try walking the length of the pool (don’t forget to use your arms). Go as quickly as possible for 10 seconds, then slower for a 1 minute recovery. Start with 5 sets and build from there, alternating forward and backward. Be sure to walk with proper form and allow your entire foot to strike the bottom of the pool from heel to toe.
• In the deep end, strap on a flotation belt for water walking. You can do the same “bursts” described above or vary your routine depending on your ability and preference: Try more or fewer quick bursts, longer or shorter steps, changing directions, etc.

Change Your Stride
Experiment with different stride lengths during your workouts. Try shorter and faster strides or slower and medium-length strides. You can try entire workouts at a new stride length, or change it up every minute or two. Different stride lengths and speeds will challenge your muscles in different ways so you can keep seeing progress.

Take Your Dog
Fido will ensure you are walking at a good pace. For an average person (and dog), you’re probably in your target speed range when your dog is “trotting” too. Be careful – if Fido tends to pull a lot, it might be dangerous for him.

Change Direction
People move forward, and walking is no exception. As long as you’re careful and don’t have any balance issues, walking laterally or even backwards can be a good way to add a little variety to your program. Sideways walking is probably easiest and poses the fewest risks. Keep your body facing in one direction and focus on the movement of your outer and inner thighs as you step to the side. Don’t forget to go both ways (lead with the right leg, but don’t forget to turn the other way to lead with the left leg, too). On the treadmill, try a very slow speed with 0% incline. You can hold on to the railings for support.

Vary Your Program
There are countless of simple ways you can change up your walking routine, from experimenting with different workout durations (short, medium or long), different workout intensities (low, moderate and high), and even different days of the week. The more you change things up, the better your results will be, even as you continue to get more fit.

Written by Jen Mueller & Nicole Nichols
Originally published on Sparkpeople.com

Biotin/Vitamin H
Biotin (a.k.a. vitamin H) can improve hair that is splitting or thinning as well as strengthen weakened nails. Taken with zinc and the corticosteroid clobetasol propionate, biotin has even been used to treat alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease marked by the loss of hair. Nina DiBona, RD, dietitian and nutritionist at the Sports Club/LA in Boston, agrees. “A deficiency in biotin may result in brittle hair or even hair loss.” An easy way to remember: The H in vitamin H stands for “haar and haut,” which means “hair and nails” in German, DiBona notes.
Foods to Try: Bananas, beans, cauliflower, eggs, lentils, peanuts and salmon.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
To get shinier hair, introduce more omega-3s into your diet, which “help support scalp health and may give your locks extra luster and shine,” according to DiBona. The three active ingredients—alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid—are all essential fatty acids and “are important components of the stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer of the epidermis that contains keratin and has water-holding capabilities. Deficiency in essential fatty acids can result in dry scalp or dandruff,” she says.
Foods to Try: Eggs, flaxseed, fish oil, mackerel, salmon, sardines, spinach, tuna and walnuts.

Protein
Protein intake is important for many reasons, notably when it comes to hair and nails. Both “are made of structural proteins known as keratin, so adequate dietary protein is important for providing the building blocks for growing strong hair and nails,” explains DiBona. Lean meats are the easiest way to pack protein into your diet—just make sure to steer clear of any that are overly fatty.
Foods to Try: Chicken, eggs, lean red meats, lowfat dairy, nuts, seafood, soybeans and whole grains.

Vitamin A
“Vitamin A helps produce a conditioning substance for the scalp known as sebum, which keeps hair looking and feeling healthy,” says DiBona. In addition to these beauty benefits, this vitamin contributes to better eye health and immune system function, which keeps you vital and strong from head to toe.
Foods to Try: Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, Cheddar cheese, egg yolks, mangoes, oatmeal, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Zinc
Zinc is another nutrient active in helping the immune system function properly, and DiBona also notes that it plays an important role in the formation of your connective tissues. “Zinc is a component of hundreds of enzymes in the body, some of which regulate the body’s ability to make new proteins that will become building blocks of healthy hair and nails,” she says. “Alopecia, hair dryness and brittleness can be signs of zinc deficiency.”
Foods to Try: Cashews, green beans, lean beef, lobster, oysters and soybeans.

Written by Olivia Putnal
Published on WomansDay.com

If you have a hangover:
Had a few too many glasses of wine last night? Now is the time to take it easy. According to Rick Mayo, owner of North Point Personal Training in Roswell, Georgia, “A light workout can help clear your head. However, your electrolytes are typically pretty out of balance after a night of drinking, and a sweaty workout can make it worse.” It’s also important to consider how bad your hangover is: If you’re absolutely miserable, just make it a rest day. Otherwise, go for a walk or try another form of low-key cardio and skip the vigorous spin class this time—just remember to replenish your fluids before you head out to avoid serious injuries that can occur as a result of dehydration. 

If you’re sore from your last workout:
If you’re new to exercise or pushed yourself extra-hard last time you hit the weights, you can expect some soreness due to delayed-onset muscle soreness. Mayo’s advice: “If the soreness is simply muscular and not joint-related, a little hair of the dog is a good thing, as long as you ease up on the intensity.” Kate F. Hays, PhD, a Toronto-based clinical and sport psychologist, suggests using times like these as an opportunity to work in a different type of exercise. So if you’re sore from weightlifting, try some light cardio or yoga. If running was the culprit, give cycling or the elliptical trainer a go.

If you’re under the weather:
Both experts agree that light exercise can help ease congestion from a cold, but if you have a cough or fever, it’s best to sit it out until the illness passes. Dr. Hays emphasizes the importance of knowing your body––one person may feel better after exercising when sick, while someone else may feel worse. Whichever you choose, says Mayo, “do us all a favor and don’t come to the gym—we don’t want your germs!” If you’re taking medication, Dr. Hays and Mayo both stress the importance of checking with your doctor about any precautions to take while exercising. Physical activity can ease the side effects of certain drugs, but it can also worsen others, and, according to Mayo, some antibiotics can increase the risk of injury.

If you just ate:
You know that it’s not ideal to exercise while you’re completely full, but what if you’ve just eaten and find yourself with an unexpected chance to get some exercise? A low-intensity workout is fine on a full stomach, says Mayo, but if you try something more strenuous than walking or easy cycling, he cautions, “you’ll want to have an empty stomach––if not, it may empty itself!” To avoid exercising yourself sick, stick to a low-key sweat session. 

If it’s that time of month:
Generally, exercise can ease period-related symptoms, and a study that appeared last year in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that exercise performance wasn’t affected during any of the phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. However, Mayo explains that a heavy cycle can result in low iron levels, which may increase fatigue, so be sure to adjust the intensity of your session based on your energy level. Otherwise, he adds, “A good, hard workout can also offset the negative emotions associated with your cycle.” 

If you’re pregnant:
According to Mayo, if you’ve already been exercising consistently before you got pregnant, then by all means carry on. “If not, you can begin walking and doing light body weight movements.” But he warns that this is not the time to ramp up your intensity. He also advises that once you reach the third trimester you avoid doing any exercises while lying flat on your back. “The increased weight of your uterus in that position presses on the major vein that returns blood from your legs to your heart,” he explains. “Other than that, just listen to your body and use common sense.” Dr. Hays recommends consulting with your healthcare provider just to be safe—this is especially important if you have health issues or pregnancy-related problems like preeclampsia.

If you have a minor injury:
“If your injury hurts only during certain activities, refrain from doing them while maintaining other forms of exercise,” instructs Mayo. This might be a good time to mix things up by trying new forms of activity. However, he says, “If ice, anti-inflammatories and rest don’t help, see your doctor. You don’t want a minor injury to turn into something chronic.” Focus on the big picture: It’s better to take a couple of days or weeks off than to worsen an injury, which could sideline you for much longer. 

If you’re stressed about a big test or presentation the next day:
The consensus on this is a resounding yes! Mayo points out that “a good workout will help you relax mentally, which is precisely what will help you perform your best the next day.” In fact, a Harvard University study published in the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback found yoga was associated with decreased levels of performance anxiety. However, Dr. Hays notes that it may take some experimenting to figure out the most effective stress buster for you personally, whether it’s calming yoga or high-intensity cardio.

By Tori Rodriguez
Originally published on WomansDay.com