Enjoy The Journey!

Spring is a great time to get your body fit and healthy for summer. April in northeastern Wyoming brings rain, mud, cold weather, with the occasional spectacular warm spring days as sneak peaks of the summer season to come. Summer activities often require more balance and flexibility than the indoor activities of winter. So if you weren't as active as you hoped to be over winter, here is a great little plan to add to your typical workouts to get yourself ready for summer.  Do 2 Times per week in addition to your regular workout plan. WARMUP: Perform as a circuit: Do 2 Rounds 1.       Shuffles: 15-20 each direction 2.       Wobble Board (BAPS Board): 1 Minute: forward, back, side to side, single leg and double. 3.       Walking Lunge Slams with Light Slam Ball 5 each side 4.       Backwards Lunge: 5 each side 5.       Inchworms:...

*NOTE: I honestly don't know if I can take full credit for this. It was compiled from several word files on my computer with no documenting of sources. Some of it sounds like my writing and some of it may have been pulled from other articles. I abhor plagiarism and held off on posting this for a long time because of my fears that it wasn't original work. But it is great info that I wanted to share. So enjoy! And give this credit to all of the amazing trainers and researchers out there that contribute to the education of health and fitness!  Yours in health and fitness, Caryn   There are three energy systems: aerobic, anaerobic, and ATP-CP.  All three of the energy systems are intertwined and need to be trained in specific ways in order to get the most benefit. In my opinion, to be truly fit, you absolutely have to train the energy systems intelligently and methodically, just like you would train for increasing strength in a methodic...

Are you in a little bit of a workout rut? Have you been working out but feel bored with your current playlists? My sister-in-law and I were just talking about ideas and ways to get a boost if you’ve been feeling unmotivated or bored. I put together a little recipe to help give you the boost you are needing. It includes 3 motivating workout songs and a pyramid workout structure. Song #1: “This is Me” by Kesha. You might recognize it from the recent hit movie “The Greatest Showman.” Not only does this song have super motivating lyrics it also has a killer drum beat that makes it easier to push a little harder in your workout.                            Song #2 “Walk on Water” by Thirty Seconds to Mars. Again, motivating lyrics and a nice beat to keep your heartrate in that desired work zone. Song #3 called “Gang of Rhythm” by Walk Of...

Recently, a group of folks from all different cycling experience levels participated in a 9-day challenge called the Tour of Sufferlandria.  This is a grand tour, similar to the likes of the Tour de France or Giro d’Italia, of a mythical nation called Sufferlandria. You are challenged to complete 9 days of indoor cycling to videos provided by the company “Sufferfest”, all to benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation and their work to improve the lives of those affected by Parkinson’s Disease.  The tour itself is actually pretty entertaining and you can find yourself immersed in this mythical culture among thousands of other cyclists from all over the world who call themselves “Sufferlandrians.”   Each video is created with cycling-specific training goals for you while including music and humor to help ease the pain of the suffer you may feel during the challenge. So why in the heck would anyone ever join this tour you might ask?  Here are the top 5 reasons...

Man, this winter is long. I know, I live in Wyoming. But this one just seems like it has been a rough one. I am actively working on keeping the winter blues at bay and thought I would share some of the things I do to keep the hope alive during the winter months! Eat your fruits and berries.  It’s easy to forget how good summer tastes! This is the time of year when local veggies are hard to come by. So I make the most of the raspberries, blackberries, and citrus fruits in the produce section. I like anything that is fresh and easy to eat. Grapes and clementines are a favorite in our family in addition to berries. Fruits have a variety of benefits, from vitamin C to healthy antioxidants and many other nutrients that we need year round, especially in the flu and cold heavy winter season.  Want to make fruit fun? Try something new like golden berries. They are the sour patch kids of the fruit world and fun to eat with your kids too! Get hot! Gettin...

As a fitness professional and Yoga Instructor I am quite excited to see yoga more widely recognized. It is being acknowledged for its many health benefits as well as a valid option for fitness.  However, yoga can seem daunting to those who are unfamiliar with it. I am always asked what is a good YouTube channel or local class for beginners. The truth is, any and all. Like any activity or skill, the best way to start is to just start. However, this answer is tends to be unsatisfactory and many will not “just start” without any prior knowledge. So, for those who need a little at home practice before joining a class I suggest learning the Hatha Surya Namaskar series, or Sun Salutation. This series of postures or asanas, is a great way to start or end the day. There is also the Ashtanga Surya Namaskar series, one of the main differences being the movement of jumping back to the plank position from a forward fold. This can be a bit daunting for beginners. However, once you’ve mas...

The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention on, to use and apply. It also means union or communion. (From B.K.S. Iyengar Light on Yoga book). Many people view Yoga as finding time and space to relax, meditate, connect closer to their spirit and source, or to simply have a better connection with their own bodies through movement. Many people also view yoga as “just stretching”.  Yoga can be all of these things and more, but from the physical side of things, Yoga is a great way to create balance within the body as a whole, by lengthening muscles that are too short, increasing range of motion, strength, and flexibility. Most humans have sedentary jobs or lifestyles, poor postural habits, compensation patterns created by injury or surgery, among many other things that can cause and create physical imbalances. Strength training is the form of exercise most people utilize for fitness....