Tone-Up Tuesday: Power Runs

This week we are looking at how to power up your runs! Want to burn an extra 100 calories…see results faster….then try some of these tips for your next run.

1. Add lunges to the end of your run! This is a great way to tone those legs after a long run, be sure to stretch afterwards though, your muscles will thank you.

2. Run uphill! This may sound awful, but running uphill is the easiest way to burn more calories during a run! If you have run a few races you may have noticed the end is usually uphill—why do people do that !? Running 26 miles is hard enough but the last 3 uphill? Jokes! However, in the long run (get it) you will be looking fabulous.

 

3. Change the pace of your running. If you run at a constant pace you will have the same heart rate. If you want to increase blood flow and your agility, then change the pace. Sprint for a few minutes then change to a slow jog, this will help your quickness of feet. It will also be a challenge for those of you looking to switch up the running routine.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Skinny Girl Drinks

This post is for all of you that are adults over 21 years older. If you are allowed to drink, like me, and want to enjoy a glass of wine here and there and perhaps a cocktail on the weekends, then try these Skinny Girl drinks from one housewife.

Skinny Girl drinks are roughly 100 calories per 5 fluid ounces. This is excellent for alcoholic beverages. However, be warned they are only 12% alcohol, so if you find yourself drinking these like water then its because you can barely taste the alcohol—warning this may lead to poor singing and dancing .

Which one is your favorite? I enjoy Skinny Girl Margarita and Skinny GIrl Cucumber Vodka.

In the end, Skinny Girl drinks get an A+ for being healthy alcoholic drinks. Please always drink responsible.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: The Benefits of Biking

If you live in a city like I do, then biking may be an option for travel for you. Not only is biking convienent, but it also helps your health. Want to keep your heart healthy with daily cardio that is scheduled into your day? Then, look to buying or renting a bike and hit the roads. Below you will see some benefits of biking.

If you are drive everywhere, take a second to think about using a bike when the weather is warmer. Biking helps elevate your heart rate, without putting the same exertion of running on your body. What does this mean? Your knees are healthier and you sweat less, unless you are a natural sweater like me of course. Biking helps tone your legs, but can increase blood flow to release those lovely endorphins.

However, be warned if you live in a busy city. There have been one too many reports on bikers death due to city buses or cars. If you want to hit the roads be sure to do test runs on less busy streets before you hit the main ones. Get used to the hand motions necessary to navigate the streets. Every day thousands of bikers roam the city of Chicago, so be sure to be one of them at some point in your life, your heart will thank you!

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Fooducate App

This week we are looking at the app that helps you lose weight! My boss showed me this, and I immediately disgusted with what I was eating that I thought was healthy! This application allows you to scan barcodes from the back of food products and know what their real ratings are. You will be surprised to find out that those healthy chips aren’t so low in sodium or transfat after all!

This is the home page of the application on your phone. You can do anything from scan barcodes to have a breakdown of your food (see below) or you can track you health and start a diet that is monitored from your mobile phone (see below)! This app is addicting because you will start scanning everything you eat!

This is the weight tracker that actually helps you throughout the day with your calorie intake. I haven’t actually started it, but who is with me? I am addicted to my phone so why not let it help me lose weight?!

This is an example of the breakdown of the food you eat. I love Fage yogurt. It got a B+ rating overall…that is actually pretty good compared to my other foods! The only problem with this is that it has a lot of surgar probably because of the honey…which is my favorite part. The nice thing about this feature is that it gives you alternatives if you wish to keep eating greek yogurt, but need something healthier.

Wand the app? Scan below !

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Cardio at Home

For this week we are looking at some easy workout to do at home! Cardio, toning, and lifting all included in this workout.

For this one you can do cardio with using this step or if you have a small sturdy box object to do it with…but be sure that is stable. Start with you legs wide spread and your hands up and then carefully jump on to the box or step. Continue to do this until fatigued. It helps to listen to music or do it while watching TV.

Another workout to do with the step is this one here shown with a weight. You can start in this squatted position with one foot on the ground and one on the step. Next, step up onto the step with the weight still in hand. This helps tone your legs, and the weight will add toughness to the workout.

Start in this position and reach to the ceiling with your leg. It is almost like a pushing movement. Be sure to keep your body stable and do not more your body unless it is your leg.

For this workout you get to work out your arms. Start in the squatting position and them the ending position is standing. This helps your legs and arms at the same time.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Foods that Fight Belly Fat

For this week’s Tone-Up Tuesday we are looking at the super foods that help reduce the waistline, and the awful belly fat that is so awful to get rid of. Many of these options include various ways of getting ‘good’ fat and absorbing fat.

Pears, when ripe are delicious and juicy! They also help fight belly fat, and go great with a salad, or even on a salad! A really simple one to make for those of you who are like me and cannot cook, is put in a bowl sliced pears, spinach, and unsalted pecans…it makes for a savory dinner salad in just seconds.

Black beans are high in fiber and therefore should incorporated whenever possible into a diet. This is an example of black bean soup with a touch of sour cream for those of you who want some flavor.

Sunflower seeds are perfect to add to your breakfast cereal! They help keep your waistline from widening. Studies have proven this with already overweight people who eat sunflowers seeds.

Finally, tea is a great absorber of fat. It also is a great substitute for that coffee you have every morning. Try switching out your Starbucks for a tea option and watch the waistline disappear.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Toned Thighs

This week it is all about the legs! If you are like me you played sports your whole life and as soon as high school was over your first concern was how big are my thighs going to get? Incorporating workouts is hard, but tone legs is a must! If you have never played sports, do not worry, anyone can do these at home workouts. I have decided to concentrate on squats—everyone’s favorite I am sure! Squats are the best way to build muscle.

These are squat jumps, and they will really get your heart rate up in a matter of minutes. I challenge you to do 3 sets of 10. I promise that you will be feeling the burn well before that. Be sure to be safe with this one because you could land on your knee wrong and then being injured puts you out of the workout world for weeks, which is not good.

This is the regular squat! I would do this just watching TV, or if you find squatting in the same place boring, then go to a track or gym and do it around that. If you want to challenge yourself you can add weights to the side, however, I wouldn’t go over  5 to 8 pounds of extra weight. If you are thinking that is too light for you, try doing it while squatting it is really hard! I challenge you to do 2 laps of constant squats with weights around the track—if you can do this you are a superstar!

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: How to Incorporate Workouts in the Day

If you are like me you had a alcohol and food binge over the weekend–going out to eat, treating yourself to a drink or two, but now its the week again and it is time to buckle down on working out. However, if you are also like me then you also have zero time for doing this because you slacked off during the weekend. Below is a few tricks to sneak a workout in during your day!

1.Stand–don’t sit!  Do you work at an office and sit in front of a computer for hours at a time like me? Then try for just one day standing! This literally helps you burn calories without even moving–be sure to get a nice comfy mat to stand on so your feet don’t hate you!

2. Stairs—always!  Whenever you have the option between stairs, escalator, and elevator, this should be a no brainer. You want to tone your legs while running to a meeting be sure to take the steps! But also be sure to keep an mini deodorant handy just in case!

3. While watching TV! Americans watch on average 3 hours of TV every day! This is all ample time to do sit ups, squats, or wall sits. If you admire someone’s toned body on TV, then why not try to tone up while watching them!

4. Jump Rope! It may be weird to think of carrying around a jump rope, but the fact of the matter is that this is a short cardio workout that can burn up to 110 calories in just 10 mins! Can you imagine what you could do on your breaks? Or during your lunch hour? think of burning 200 calories on break! Wow! That is something I would want to do.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Absolutely Awesome Abs

Spring is coming just around the corner and it is time to take off that winter weight! If you are like most of us, then you gain a few pounds around the holidays and in the Chicago arctic winter! The one place that weight never seems to come off is the stomach–ahh the dreaded stomach weight. Below are some ab workouts that can help fight the fat! Also important foods to eat in order to lose the extra tummy weight are: Almonds, Eggs, Apples, Yogurt, and Avocados! Check out more information from Fitness Magazine!

Planking! It is not just  a strange trend that younger hipster kids invented! Planking works out the abs almost more than the regular crunch! This position when held for one minute can equate to 1,000 crunches! Now I am no scientist, but why wouldn’t go for these 1 min planks to burn almost twice as much as you normally would?!

This can be easily done at the gym! Just sit and crunch! This helps work the upper abs and is even good for your balance and legs! This ‘suitcase’ crunch can be done on the ground as well, but I find it easy to do on a bench like this.

Finally, this abs workout is one that help build tone and that 6-pack you so desperately want! Raised legs make ever crunch you do 10 times more effective. Shown here is a woman using a ball, you do not need to use that is you do not want to! I personally just raise the legs in the air and start to crunch! Be sure to keep your neck straight and pick a spot on the ceiling to look at– it helps make sure every move you make it worth it.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Beautiful Biceps

Ever get jealous of the many actresses in hollywood that have amazing arms? Nothing stands out more in a mini dress than toned arms and legs. Today we will be looking at a wide variety of push-ups that you can do in your own home!

The regular push up! Do not let this frighten you away, girls can do a push up just as much as guys. I like to do sets of 10 during my workouts. After cardio I usually only do 3 sets of 10 in order to help tone my arms. Remember to keep your arms at a 90 degree angle. Keep your back straight and do not stick your butt in the air.

A more challenging push up is the triangle push up. In order to do this one, put you hands in a formation so your thumbs and pointer fingers make a triangle. This push up works different muscles in the arm and also is harder for faster results.

If you have a short stool or ottoman, then bring that out! For these next push ups you’ll need it! Elevate your feet on the ottoman and continue to do regular push ups. These are even harder than the first two due to the elevation. You have to work harder for each push up, again making results faster if you chose this method of workout.

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane

Tone-Up Tuesday: Corepower Yoga

This is not your typical yoga; however it does offer all the same benefits as any other yoga studio, plus more! I have been going for a few months, and find it to completely relaxing for my body and mind. Working out for me is much more than keeping my body strong, but it is also a stress reliever in disguise.

The special thing about Corepower Yoga is that they have a wide range of classes for those that are experts and can do crazy things like head stands and pretzels, and they have classes for those of us who cannot touch our toes. The classes are all heated, which may scare you away, but try and enjoy the sweat, it feel great afterwards! The whole class is about moving and breathing. Breathing is key to the Corepower workout.

The first class I ever went to I felt silly making loud breathing noises, but it does benefit you in the long run! I also saw improvements on my flexibility, even after one week! I kept going back to Corepower not because I needed to tone-up but mostly because I found it so relaxing that I needed to go for my day-to-day stress.

True story: I had a friend who lost 20 pounds while dieting and doing Corepower Yoga for a month! It was inspirational to know that all you have to do is try and results can be seen, and what better way to shed the pounds than by learning something new!

Corepower offers a week free for those who want to do a trail based, but trust me if you have any experience close to what I had, you’ll be back and begging for more yoga. Soon after you’ll be doting LuLulemon yoga pants, bra, and yoga mat, all while drinking your iced green tea from Starbucks.

Good Luck Ladies,

Yours Truly,

Rachel Jane