10 Hacks to Make the Holidays Healthier

On a holiday morning, your first thought probably isn’t to pull out your resistance bands and get ready for a workout. When you start thinking ahead to dinner, you may want to consider what workout you can fit in your day, and how it will make your festive meal even better. Yes, just because you’re not thinking about fitness on a day of celebration, you probably won’t be able to stop remembering your indulgence the next day. This year, let yourself off the hook. Indulge with these tips in mind to enjoy your holiday to the fullest:

1. Forget the fast.

   We know the usual plan, skip big meals throughout the day so that you’re really hungry for dinner. Stop right there! Not only does skipping meals make you less hungry, it’s a bad habit for both your mind and body to learn this habit. Small meals throughout the day will keep you on a regular schedule, and prepare you for a full dinner.

2. Drink water throughout the day.

   Dehydration often shows itself with a lack of hunger. You know the feeling, when you haven’t eaten much all day and can’t understand why you’re not hungry. Prepare for a holiday meal by staying hydrated throughout the day, and you’ll avoid snacking before your favorite meal.

3. Work Out

   Don’t assume because it’s a holiday there isn’t enough time for a workout. Grab a few resistance bands and an exercise ball and create a 20-minute circuit you can do right at home. Perform squats, bicep curls, rows, and shoulder lifts with resistance bands, and make time for an ab workout with your exercise ball.
   A morning workout will get you ready and energized for those long family holidays, and remind you to stay motivated about your goals. You’ll even be more likely to make healthier choices throughout the day.

4. Plate setup.

   Yes, we have a strategy to our plate servings. Start out with the protein and veggies you’re going to eat. After you’ve filled up on nutrient-dense foods, serve yourself carbohydrates like stuffing, mashed potatoes, or even a biscuit. You’ll be able to enjoy your favorite foods, without becoming stuffed on carbs alone.

5. Bring an appetizer.

   Bring a cheese and crackers alternative by offering to bring an appetizer you won’t feel as guilty about. Try homemade hummus or a veggie platter with yogurt dressing. With more options to choose from, you’ll save yourself and other guests calories throughout the holiday feast!

6. Lend a helping hand.

   Want to avoid the appetizers altogether? Offer to help the hostess. Keeping busy will prevent you from casual snacking so you can save room for the main course. It will also keep you on your feet and moving throughout the day! You’ll see your Fitbit steps increasing rather than reminding you to move! You might not realize just how much work you’ll be doing moving around the pot filled with five pounds of potatoes.

7. Become your own bartender.

   Play bartender for yourself to cut out unnecessary calories, if you’re not skipping out on alcohol altogether. Choose seltzer and create flavors with fresh fruits and spices. Not sure what will be available? Bring your own signature cocktail to share so you can avoid added sugars and sodas, while giving everyone something to enjoy. If you give the host control over your liquid intake, you might end up consuming way more calories than you would have liked to.

8. Hold the toppings.

   Chances are you won’t skip dessert, and we don’t blame you. What you can do, though, is skip out on the extra whipped cream topping to your pie. Enjoy your favorite pie, and skip the additions as a small way to cut out heavy calories to your day. This applies to creamy dressings, sauces, and gravy too!

9. Plan ahead.

   Guilt is a common feeling after the holidays as we indulge more than usual. Plan and schedule your next day’s workout ahead of time, whether it is hitting the gym or an at home resistance band workout.
   Knowing you already have a plan of action will help you stay committed to it and avoid those unhealthy guilty feelings associated with food.

10. Enjoy!

    Yes, indulge and enjoy it! Holidays come once a year — if you have a slice of pie, take your time and slowly enjoy it rather than trying to see how much you can eat. (Think quality over quantity.) Eating slower will not only help you eat less, but will allow you to enjoy what you’re eating. By enjoying your favorite holiday treats in moderation you can create healthy eating habits.

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/10-healthy-holiday-hacks/

The Perfect Way to Wind Down With Exercise

You can use exercise as a tool to relax and relieve any built up tension — physical or emotional. Here’s how.

Exercise works magic on the human body, often in ways we don’t realize. Think back to the time in your life when you first started exercising. You probably thought of exercise as something that would make you healthier, stronger, or improve your appearance. All of those things are simple in nature, but true. It normally isn’t until later on that it becomes apparent that exercise impacts the human body far beyond those initial associations.

Consider this: Some of the strongest, fastest, and talented athletes will admit to finding exercise and gym time therapeutic. Many exercise enthusiasts will even go as far as saying some of the most intense mental work they’ve ever done has been within the walls of a gym. Not only can exercise pump you up and energize you, but it can also calm you down — a lot. If you’re ready to shed some tension and clear your mind next time you work out, here’s a solid plan to follow:

1. Mental Check:

   If you know that you’re ready to focus your next workout session on winding down and clearing your heart and mind, there’s probably something already bothering you. Whether it’s general stress, specific sadness, frustration, or just a build up of little stressors from your daily routine, it’s an important step to claim and identify the source(s) of tension in your life before beginning your workout.

2. Therapy Element:

   Incorporate something into your workout routine that screams, “self care!” Bring a therapy element into your workout, whether that means something as simple as wearing your favorite gym clothes, lighting a candle or incense, dimming the lights, or putting your headphones on and listening to some cathartic music you haven’t heard in a long time. You’ll benefit tremendously by setting the mood for healing and carving out the little extra time to manifest an environment that speaks to you and calms your nerves. Plus, once you get deep into your exercise routine, your therapy element will remind you that this session is a transformative one — beyond the physical — and you’ll be less likely to let your mentality slip.

3. Breathe:

   Practice some rhythmic breathing prior to your workout. Rhythmic breathing has an underestimated, incredible effect on the human body. A simple practice is laying on the floor and breathing in as your belly rises. Then, as you exhale, feel your belly lowering. Repeat this until any feelings of nagging tension are gone — no matter how tedious the breathing may feel at first.

4. Stretch:

   Give a little more time to stretching during this workout. Instead of simply warming up the body to prevent injury during a workout, make an art out of your stretching routine and move beyond your arms and legs. Start with the tips of your toes and stretch the different muscle groups of your body until you reach the crown of your head. Don’t forget about your feet, spine, neck, and wrists during this session.

5. Mental Check:

   Before intensifying your workout routine, focus on the balanced feeling you’ve just created for your body and think back to the problems you identified in your first mental check. Do the issues feel any lighter? If the issues are more trivial, they will likely will feel less significant, and it’s important to focus on those issues becoming even smaller as you enter the next phase of the workout.
   If you’re dealing with greater emotional stress, you might feel more at peace with the situation after breathing and stretching. Before moving into your cardio session, identify the pain points — the sources of sadness or stress — and then get ready to work through those feelings and recenter yourself during your routine.

6. Cardio:

   Get your blood flowing. The breathing and stretching helped warm up your body, but cardio will take it to the next level. Let your mind be still, or let it wander — but never let go of the intention(s) you set during your mental check before you started raising your heart rate. During your cardio session, you’ll simultaneously release feel-good endorphins, raise your body temperature, decrease anxiety levels, and give your self confidence a boost. Push yourself with cardio until you’ve met your goal. During this workout, it’s important to not give up until your personal goal has been met, so make sure you create a realistic cardio goal for yourself!

7. Lower Body:

   After you’ve completed your cardio, get ready to work out your lower body. Work every muscle group you know how to work, and incorporate resistance bands into your fitness session. Resistance bands will maximize your results, in terms of relieving tension, since incorporating them will work your muscles in a different way, while simultaneously stabilizing them. Ever have a stress ball hanging around at your desk? Think of it like this: Resistance bands are the “stress balls” of exercise! Let that tension go!

8. Upper Body:

   Move on to your upper body exercises, and focus on your abdominals, arms, and upper back. Again, work every muscle group you can and use your resistance bands! An exercise ball is also a powerful tool to use during a stress-relieving workout to help stabilize and balance muscles — this will help work off extra tension.

9. Stretch:

   When you’ve completed your workout, keep your blood flowing by giving yourself a light stretch session, focusing on rhythmic breathing. This time, as you breathe, visualize any remaining points of tension, frustration, or stress leaving your body with each exhale. Continue stretching and breathing in tandem until you feel the clarity that felt so out of reach before you started your wind-down exercise session.

10. Mental Check:

    Check in with your mind again and focus on how much lighter you feel. Mentally shake off any remaining stressors, come to terms with your situation(s), and fix your mind on continuing to show up for life, placing an importance on enjoying each step along the way. You got this!

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/10-ways-to-wind-down-and-relax/

The Katie Austin Package Will Change the Way You Work Out Forever

Your fitness routine should be fun, effective, and easy to do in any location. Now, there’s a box that gives you just that and more!

Breathe life back into your fitness routine by incorporating easy-to-use gear by DynaPro Direct and fun workouts created by Katie Austin. Austin is a millennial fitness leader who inspires and teaches thousands on social media to strive for and reach healthy goals. Now, there’s a box that brings our products and her inspiration right to your doorstep! The package includes portable and trendy fitness gear - plus access to energetic videos, featuring Katie Austin, that show you exactly what to do with the gear. Read on to see what you can do with the package to get results you’ll love!

1. Get dressed for your workout:

   Okay, so this isn’t something you have to do, but it’s something you might really enjoy getting into the habit of doing! Push that old t-shirt to the left, and sport activewear that makes you feel good. Set an intention to collect a few pieces of clothing just for your fitness sessions. Dressing for the occasion helps get your head in the game, and it will boost your confidence too. Austin’s always showing off trendy fitness wear and she’s definitely onto something! Most importantly, don’t forget to wear your smile.

2. Learn more about your body:

   Shake up your regular gym sessions and open up the lines of communication with your body. The workouts included will get your heart pumping and blood flowing, while the resistance bands will help stabilize and stretch your muscles. You’ll learn how important it is to balance your body as you continue to build strength. That’s a key to take with you through life.

3. Become better at jumping rope:

   It is a foolish fitness-minded person who ignores the jump rope! Seriously though, jumping rope has been a staple workout for years - and for a good reason.
   
   Get excited to pick up the rope and learn how to use it the right way. Jump ropes are super portable too, so you can take your jump rope anywhere to get a quick workout in.

4. Have fun while you pump up:

   It's literally impossible to work out with Austin and not have the time of your life. She knows when to be serious, when to push you, when to break out in laughter, and when to "shake it off." Whether you’re working out to better yourself, tone your body, relieve your stress, or go on a mental vacation, your body will naturally learn the importance of feeling good when you exercise after getting through these videos. This is another key that you should take with you through life.

5. Get your blood flowing:

   Austin's workout series with DynaPro is far from boring or predictable. The millennial fitness guru is on trend, and combines several fitness styles - including cardio HIIT - to execute energetic routines that any beginner or seasoned strength-training professional would benefit from.

6. Try new exercise ball techniques:

   Learn to love your exercise ball and keep it close by! You can stretch, build strength, wind down, or pump up with it. Try using it as a chair and learn moves from Austin that you can use for a lifetime. By reaching for the exercise ball when you work out, you end up strengthening your abdominals without even realizing it.

7. Tone your muscles:

   You know what's not included in this package? Weights - and it's meant to be that way! By working out with Austin and DynaPro gear, you’re still going to see your muscles toning up and strengthening as if you were lifting weights. This will empower you to strength train even when weights are not accessible!

8. Get obsessed with mini bands:

   You’ll receive four DynaPro mini precision loop bands (at different levels of resistance) in your workout package - learn to love 'em and use 'em! Stick one in your wallet (yep!) or in the pocket of your sweatshirt on your next run.
   
   Austin will show you the ropes, but you’ll likely discover new ways to use these bands to stretch and strengthen your muscles on your own, too. They are so easy to use. #trendalert

9. Slim down:

   All of the DynaPro fitness gear will help you decrease your body fat percentage. By using them in the right way, you'll maximize your results. Austin will give you the confidence you need to learn new techniques and execute them properly. You’ll never have to second-guess or question yourself again!

10. Experience how powerful resistance bands are:

    You'll never underestimate the power of resistance bands again! Not only can resistance bands have a profound effect on your pump-up sessions, but they’ll naturally help stabilize and balance your different muscle groups, too. This is crucial to building healthy muscle mass, and it’s been so often overlooked.

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/fitness-package-and-workout-plan/

Healthy Benefits of Working Out with a Jump Rope

While most of the people join gyms in an effort to lose fat and get in shape. This isn’t always necessary. You can get an intense cardio workout within the comfort of your home. Wondering how??

By just using your jump rope! There are variety of ways to use a jump rope and results achieved through it won’t let you put it down.

• Jumping rope can be used as a great means to lose weight. You don’t have to cut off calories out of your diet. Jumping rope for 30 mins will help you lose weight in the healthiest manner possible and will also improve the quality of your life

• Super portable fitness gear. This piece of fitness equipment can go anywhere with you. You don't have to commit to expensive gym membership to get yourself fit

• Improves cardiovascular fitness: Incorporating this exercise equipment in your workout routine helps you build endurance and heart health
• Improves coordination: Using jump rope in your daily workout routine helps you to improve your powers of coordination
•  Versatile fitness tool for boxers: Boxing requires many skills that jump rope can provide. Boxers like, Floyd Mayweather prefer a PVC cable as opposed to a wire cable for the weight, speed, and control benefits
  
  

So, if you want to improve your flexibility and looking for best jump ropes on the market, you can always opt for DynaPro Direct pro grade jump ropes with long aluminium handles and adjustable PVC speed cable. Workouts with these jump ropes will not only boost your workout intensity, burn unwanted calories, increase the blood flow, strengthen the internal organs, build strength, improve breathing efficiency.

These jump ropes come with 100% lifetime replacement guarantee. Available in blue, green and pink variants at unbeatable prices. Pick the jump rope of your choice at 43% discount.

These jump ropes will allow you to perform a variety of exercises and designed to help you build speed, quickness, footwork, endurance and confidence. Jumping rope is a great way to enjoy cardiovascular exercises. It contributes to hormonal balance, Improves the muscle tone in the legs, Eliminates toxins through sweat and relieves tension and stress to a great extent.

Sounds interesting?

Grab your jump rope today and see the improvement in your fitness level yourself. 

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/fitness-jump-ropes/