Supernatural Botanicals

Working out does more for you than boost your sex appeal.  According to a recent study by the University of Bristol in England, there are serious perks to exercising before or during your workday.  They found that 72% of people improved their time management, 74% managed their workload better, and 79% were sharper and more focused.   Switch your workouts to early morning or midday to gain the added benefits above.

   Think about your end game.  Did you know, you’d have to walk far longer than it’s worth  9 miles to burn off one Cinnabon?  At 730 calories and 24 grams of fat, this thunder-thigh-inducing treat may cost more than you’re willing to pay. 

This is what strength training does for you…it gives you amazing, well-defined muscles.  So many women shy away from strength training/weight training, fearing they’ll develop body builder-type arms.  The reality is, women who are body builders not only train to extremes and discipline themselves religiously in their diet, but many also take additional supplements and drugs to achieve a female body builder physique.

Exercises, such as lateral lifts, biceps curls, and triceps extensions with weights, are what’s needed to achieve the kind of muscles that our First Lady has.  She’s gorgeous and healthy.   It’s a beautiful look.  The only way to achieve such lean muscle definition is to use resistance (weights or bands.)

Don’t reach for the 3 pound weights unless you are just starting out.  Challenge yourself.  You can lift a lot more than you think you can.  Biceps and triceps are load-bearing muscles, they can take the challenge.

Try these three exercises to achieve arms like our First Lady.

Lateral raises

Biceps curl.

Triceps extensions.

Enter to win this fab Eco-Yoga Kit.  This kit includes all the essentials, a mat, a strap and a block.  The mat contains no formaldehyde or heavy metals & is mildew resistant.   Enter here to win.  Good luck.

I love my Bosu Ball and consider it to be one of my best pieces of equipment in my gym.  You haven’t felt squats the way you’ll feel them while on the Bosu.  I’ve learned a second technique in this clip….Bosu Ball Squats.  I’ve done lots of squats for my hamstrings, quads, and glues on the Bosu, but with the ball facing up.  They’ve flipped the ball, platform side up, and now it gives you even more core conditioning.  Love that!  

Try these moves on your Bosu.  Don’t have one yet?  You should look into that here. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGJSmRZoJCI

I’m always eager to learn about other people’s workout routines.  I try to gain bits and pieces from different workouts to fit into my own plan.  In this case, the entire plan is laid out for you.  Marie Claire magazine has the low down on Miss Jessica Alba’s routine.  Broken down step by step, you can do the exact workout that Jess pays $200.00 a session for. 

Go ahead and slash that gym membership from your monthly expenses. Celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza shares the simple, 40-minute at-home workout that got Alba and Halle Berry into fab post-baby shape. Follow her fat-burning program four times a week:

10-MINUTE CARDIO: Jog for two minutes; run hard for six; jog again for two.

STRENGTH TRAINING 1: Three rounds of 20 reps using 3-pound dumbbells.

• Forward lunge with biceps curl: Curl weights up as you step forward; release arms down and back as you return to starting position. Alternate legs.
• Reverse flys: Step forward with one leg, bend forward at the waist, and let arms hang. Raise arms, slightly rounded, to sides until they are in line with shoulders. Switch legs every 10 reps.
• Lateral raise: Stand with arms by your sides; lift arms out to the side until they’re in line with shoulders.

5-MINUTE CARDIO: Alternate between 30 seconds of jogging and 30 seconds of sprinting.

STRENGTH TRAINING 2: Three rounds of 20 reps using 3-pound dumbbells.

• Squat with shoulder press: As you come out of the squat position, press arms up over your head (palms forward).
• Chest press: Lie back on a bench (or stacked pillows), arms extended above your chest, palms forward with dumbbells touching. Lower arms until weights are in line with chest, then press back up.
• Triceps dips: Slide off the seat of a chair, keeping your arms on the edge behind you, and lower yourself down until your arms are at a 90-degree angle.

5-MINUTE CARDIO: Jog for 30 seconds; run hard for four minutes; jog again for 30 seconds.

CORE WORKOUT: One round of 20 reps.

• Reverse crunches: Lie on your back with knees pulled to chest and hands under butt; straighten legs toward ceiling, contract abs, and lift hips.
• Bicycle crunches: Lie on back with arms behind head and legs raised and bent to 90 degrees. Bring right elbow to left knee, left elbow to right knee.
• Plank: Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

BOTTOM LINE: $15 (for two 3-pound dumbbells).

Think you have what it takes to pull this move off….gracefully?  My friends over at www.YogaJournal.com never let me down when it comes to new, challenging poses.  Even for a yogi like me, I find this extraordinarily challenging.    It absolutely sets my glutes a-flame!  It’s doable, though, not impossible.  Follow the steps below to do it perfectly.  Try it now…go ahead, lay down in the floor and see what you’ve got.  You may surprise yourself. 

Step by Step

 1.  Begin by preparing as you would for Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose). Lie on your back, feet on the floor, heels under the knees, and step your feet a little wider than your hips. Bend your arms and place your palms on the floor by your ears, fingertips facing the shoulders, shoulder-width apart. Pause for a moment to focus and tune in to your breathing.

 2.  As you exhale, press your knees away from your torso and lift your hips, shoulders, and head from the floor as you straighten your arms. Widen and draw your shoulder blades toward your tail bone to lift your shoulders and lighten the load on your arms.

 3.  Bend your arms and place the crown of your head on the floor between your hands and feet, keeping your elbows shoulder-width apart and directly over your wrists. To ensure that your neck does not become compressed, exhale, press your hands into the floor, and again draw your shoulder blades toward your tail bone. Keep your chest open and lifted.

 4.  On your next exhalation, slide one hand past your ear to cup the back of your head, bringing your weight onto your forearm. Repeat the same action with the other arm, interlacing your fingers behind your head (you may be more successful in these arm movements if you lift onto your tiptoes).

 5.   With a powerful exhalation, press down through your inner elbows and wrists and lift your chest to raise your head off the floor. As your head lifts, press your inner heels down. Of course, your head may seem glued to the floor; if that’s the case, continue to hold the pose where you are.

 6.  If you do manage to lift your head, the pose may actually become easier, since this movement allows your upper arms to directly support your weight, easing the demand on your muscles. But be careful not to strain the shoulder joints by pushing them beyond your elbows. Avoid this over extension by keeping your weight evenly distributed between your elbows and wrists, and by not allowing your elbows to slide more than shoulder-width apart. It is absolutely fine to remain in this position, with your head raised and your heels directly below your knees.

7.  In the full pose, however, you walk the feet away from your hands until your legs are nearly straight; then plant your inner feet and exhale as you stretch down through your calves and push to straighten the legs completely.

8.  Place the crown of your head back on the floor inside the cup of your hands, press your elbows into the floor and draw your shoulder blades toward your tail bone to help your shoulders stay lifted. Your middle back will be asked to extend more deeply.

 9.   Come out of this asana with great attention. First, walk your feet back under your knees. Remain on your crown and return your palms to the floor next to your ears. Again check to make sure your hands are directly under your elbows. Push with your hands to lift the head and tuck your chin and tail bone in as you roll your spine back down to the floor, tail bone touching last. Consciously slow your breathing down until you are once again at rest and can feel the powerful calm that is the product of balanced backbends.

So it’s Friday, and I like to talk about interior design on Fridays because it gives me an opportunity to (A) talk about one of my favorite subjects, and (B) it allows me to connect with my friend Julia over at Hooked On Houses. Love her blog!

In every home I’ve ever lived in, I’ve loved leaving my mark on it from a design standpoint.  Settling into my new-ish home of three years, I’ve definitely transformed it to where the previous owners wouldn’t even recognize it.

I was so excited about this new home because there were so many areas that had such huge potential to be developed into something fantastic.  I love creating those spaces, finding niche areas in your home and turning them into a favorite place to be.  Since working out is my thing (could you tell?), I was super excited to create a home gym.  Between my design and my carpenter’s expertise, we created one of the haven’s in my house…my home gym!

Previously, this was a basement with no walls and concrete floors.  We (okay, the carpenter) installed dry wall, lighting, and a rubberized floor…which made me a very happy girl!  It’s truly one of my favorite places to be.  It’s a guy’s gym, it’s a girl’s gym, and even the kids love playing on the stability balls on the padded floor in the gym.

I’ve even grown to love the elliptical machine.  Although my favorite cardio still remains step aerobics, dance, hip hop dance, etc., I’ve grown to appreciate the old ellip.

So welcome to one of the favorite spots in my house!  It’s a major stress-free zone, and you know you are going to leave this room looking better than when you entered it.  For that reason alone, you have to love it!

So you’ve mastered Downward Facing Dog pose in yoga, let’s keep going!  This is Dolphin pose.  This is a super-deep stretch that opens up your shoulders and digs deeper into stretching those hamstrings and glutes.

Benefits of Dolphin pose are:

Benefits

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches
• Strengthens the arms and legs
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Improves digestion
• Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
• Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica

So the next time your head is pounding from a stress headache, forgo the Tylenol and center yourself with some postures to relieve tightness from the neck and shoulders.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your forearms on the floor with your shoulders directly above your wrists. Firmly press your palms together and your forearms into the floor.

2.  Curl your toes under, then exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

3.  Continue to press the forearms actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them away from the spine and draw them toward the tailbone. Hold your head between the upper arms; don’t let it hang or press heavily against the floor.

4.  You can straighten your knees if you like, but if your upper back rounds it’s best to keep them bent. Continue to lengthen your tailbone away from the pelvis and lift the top of your sternum away from the floor.

5.  Stay between 30 seconds to one minute. Then release your knees to the floor with an exhale.

Looking for more great yoga stretches?  Head over to Yoga Journal and find 117 more moves just like this.

If the best feeling in the world is what you’re after, then this is the move for you.  Words cannot describe the pleasure one can ascertain from this move.  It’s a glute stretch, but it also works into the hamstrings as well.  This is a must-have stretch after cardio, where your legs take a beating.  This stretch is so beneficial after running, working on the elliptical, doing step aerobics, doing Pilates or yoga, and strength training.  The science behind it is that, after a workout, the muscles are full of blood and the natural tendency for the muscle is to compact itself tight.  The reason we stretch before and after workouts is to elongate the muscle, stretching it just a bit more each time, to help define and tweak the muscle.

This stretch will really lengthen out glute and hamstring muscles, even calves if you flex your feet.  This would absolutely rank towards the top of my favorite feelings in life….it’s that good!  Make sure you are spending a minimum of five minutes on stretches at the beginning and end of workouts; 10 minutes is preferable.  Don’t skip that process, it’s absolutely essential.

Keep an exercise journal to track your progress.  You’ll be so glad you did down the line.